


Safe in my arms

by Lostinagalaxyfaraway



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Being Stalked, Blow Job, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Harassment, Homelessness, Love, Made For Each Other, Make Up, Oral, Post-Break Up, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Soft Ben Solo, Stalker, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unplanned Pregnancy, Violence, after a sort of break up, diner, loving relationship, men deal with it too, sugar Daddy vibes, sweet daily life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-09-27 12:54:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20408080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lostinagalaxyfaraway/pseuds/Lostinagalaxyfaraway
Summary: Ben walks back into Rey's life after months apart, this desperate, complicated and connected couple finds that life can change quickly.





	1. Ghosts of the past

The bell over the diner door chimed softly as the last patron of the morning rush walked out into the cold December weather. A few stray snowflakes drifted inside and the smell of the cold clashed with the greasy bacon and eggs. It was long past time for a break and some food. Rey pulled off her dirty apron and grabbed a plate of leftovers that won’t be used now that breakfast would no longer be served in ten minutes. No use letting the food go to waste. Some soggy hash browns, a handful of sausage and a half glass of orange juice left that wouldn't keep another day 

Wandering to a back booth, the bell tinkled once more signaling a late breakfast customer or a very early lunch. With a sigh, she spun softly on her heel to give the usual greeting when the breath momentarily seemed to leave her. Standing there with flakes of ice in his long dark hair, stood a specter of another life she did not think she would see again. Ben Solo, the man who broke her heart.

He seemed a bit stunned as well, his eyes roaming her face and drifting down to take in her appearance. As his eyes fell to her middle his eyes narrowed and he stiffened visibly. A low rumble seemed to escape as he softly murmured 

“It’s good to see you too, I see you have been doing just fine these days” 

One hand subconsciously drifted to her middle and lay protectively across the growing bump that could no longer be hidden by a baggy shirt. If only she had left her apron on she might have been able to get away with it, but in her regular t-shirt there was no denying the roundness against her thin body

“Not that you care, are you here to eat or gawk at me?” The words tumbled out a little harsher than she meant them to, but it was worth it to see the pain cross his features momentarily before the mask of indifference was back. 

“I’ll take two breakfast platters, crisp bacon, egg yolks soft and hash browns with orange juice” He moved quickly to a booth setting his briefcase down and removing his scarf. 

“It’s lunch time, breakfast is not served after 11 am”

“It’s 10:59” came the dry reply “And you have a plate there for someone” 

“Fine, take my breakfast by all means, SIR. You pampered brat” She dropped the plate in front of him with a huff and turned back to the kitchen, glancing up at the wall “Your other meal will be changed to the lunch special. It’s now 11 and breakfast is no longer being served”

Without another word, Rey scribbled up a quick order for the special and dropped it with Chewie before navigating to the back room where the office was located. Traitorous tears began to tumble down her face and her hands shook slightly. Stupid hormones. The tears quickly became sobs as she slid down the wall into a small heap on the floor, her knees thrown to the side to accommodate the rather large basketball like belly that now protruded. 

A small hand grasped her shoulder 

“Child, what is wrong?” Maz asked quietly. Rey had not thought to check where Maz had been 

“HE is out there. I don’t know what to say” she hiccuped between sobs

“I have lived a long life, but I can tell you this. Hiding will not help you move on. It will only allow your feelings to fester until they take over like a disease. Your job won’t be in danger if you need to say some choice words to that idiot boy. One customer won't break us, and there is no one to hear what you say at the moment” a mischievous smile stretched across the small woman’s face. 

“You can handle this. You are so strong. Now get out there and show that boy what he has been missing” Maz gently wiped the tears from Rey’s face and helped her stand again, brushing her hair with her fingers and straightening her shirt. The apron now tied across her belly made it less obvious, but not as much as she would have liked. 

If only things could be easy 

As Rey came out from the kitchen with her hands full, Ben was tapping the table impatiently. He had been joined by a rather large Amazonian woman with short platinum hair. She hadn’t heard the bell in the back, but as she surveyed the room she was relieved to find that no others had wandered in yet. There were papers strewn about the table and seemed to be having a rather heated conversation about something, but paused the moment Rey came close, as though she would evesdrop on something being said about her. A sinking feeling settled deep in her stomach. Maybe it was good she didn’t get to eat, it may not have stayed down today. 

Ben looked up and huffed “Finally. This establishment is usually known for it’s food, obviously not for it’s service” The blonde woman looked up with a glare at Ben and Rey could swear she saw him wince as something thudded under the table. Good, she thought, let that woman teach him some manners. He glared at her a moment before shoving aside the soggy breakfast “And make another lunch special, this is obviously old” 

Rey just nodded, holding back tears, trying to scurry back to the kitchen as quickly as possible. A new rush of customers seemed to stream in from the cold all at once. Maybe a party, maybe just a large family. The bell rang out and chattering voices filled the small dining area. Normally it would feel cozy, but to Rey the added people made it feel claustrophobic today. She needed some air, next shift didn’t start for a half hour. She just had to hold on for a little longer before she could slip out and never have to see his face in person again. 

The more people came in, the more snow was dragged inside as well and soon the floor grew slick and wet. Rey was rushing about taking orders when a misplaced step caused her to lose her balance as her center of gravity had been vastly changing. Hands flailing out on instinct she grabbed the closest thing she could find purchase on. Unfortunately the platter fell with her to the floor with a crash, drinks spilling down her front and broken dishes caused a loud shattering sound in the small diner. She sat a moment in a heap on the floor checking herself for any damage, but a sore hand where she had braced and a bruised ego seemed to be the only collateral. 

Only two patrons looked up, one laughed and pointed, the others dark eyes watched her for a moment before leaping from the table to grab her from the middle of the sharp disaster around her. A warm hand held her arm as he guided her from the wreckage, into the back room once again, drenched and sticky. 

“Are you alright?” His anger temporarily forgotten, Ben’s face soft, full of concern and all too close to hers

“I’m fine, I can manage on my own” she all but spat, stepping back a few steps, unsure what else to say. How dare he act like her Ben after everything that had happened. Her

“Clearly you haven’t gotten any more graceful” The clipped tone back and his posture stiff once more. Dropping her arm, he brushed himself off and turned, reaching for the door handle and turning it slowly as though he wanted to avoid leaving 

“At least this time you didn’t abandon me” She quickly realized that her last thought had tumbled from her mouth instead of staying inside her own head 

Ben froze, letting go of the handle once more allowing it to click shut again “I abandoned YOU? You ran off with your new lover and obviously wasted no time starting a family and replacing everything we had together!” His voice was hardly above a whisper, though came out harsh and accusing as he pointed at her belly.

Maz burst through the door harder than usual, thumping right into Ben, causing him to step back in shock, rubbing his forehead where it had made contact. She looked up and grunted before turning to Rey

“Go wash yourself up girl, your shift is over anyway. Second shift is here to relieve you. And you boy” She pointed her finger at his chest threateningly “ I should have known it was you. You better make this right. Don’t make me call your mother! We still play cards once a week” The harsh tone was no less scary coming from such a tiny body than it would be from someone four times her size. What Maz lacked in height she more than made up for with intensity. 

Rey brushed past Ben, knocking into his shoulder as she tried to get by in the small area 

“Who are you to talk about abandoning?” He angrily whispered as she moved by “You are the one who left” Rey stopped, confused. 

“How can you even say that? I came home to find all of my stuff left on the side walk with a note! The key didn't work! You even changed your phone number? You didn’t want me, so you threw me away just like my parents.” Rey was all but shaking at this point. Her pent up anger and sadness flowing from her in one tirade. 

“You couldn't talk to me about it? You just woke up one day and decided you didn't care for me anymore! How dare you come in here and be cruel to me! Did you come here to rub salt in the wound? Bring your new girlfriend around to show off how much you’ve upgraded since you got rid of me? Does she know? How she will eventually get thrown away too by the mighty Ben Solo once you've grown tired?” Her voice had steadily grown into a shout, but Maz just went to work at her desk as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening

Ben stood for a moment processing what she said 

“Wait, how can you accuse me of leaving you? You left me a note, I still have it! You can’t lie your way out of this one!” 

Rey paused

“Wait, do you still have that note? Because I kept the one you left me. It was on top of my stuff, someone ransaked it, but it was pinned to a shirt on top. You signed it, so what is really going on here?” 

Ben thought a moment before slowly reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a single piece of paper that had been folded and looked as though it had been carried around for a while. At the same moment Rey reached into her pocket to pull out an identical page, folded and creased many times over. A few coffee stains and tears had left the page stained, but readable. Embarrassment washed over her by having to admit she had kept it with her every day to remind herself of where she started and apparently he had done the same

As they held them side by side, a realization dawned on them. They were printed on the same paper, printed in the same font. The words used were almost identical other than accusations thrown at each other. 

“That’s not my signature” Rey piped up. “It looks similar but someone signed that for me, I don’t write my R like that. It’s a habit I’ve had for a long while, I’m surprised you didn’t notice” She couldn’t help the anger slip through 

“That’s my stamp I use with my initials for documents at work, We use it when signing off unimportant work that my secretary can do for me. I didn’t write this” He looked into her watery eyes and spoke softly this time “I think we need to go somewhere and have a talk, a serious one. I suspected some foul play in my life from Snoke, but this is way more than I expected” 

“Wait, your boss?” Rey. “That withered old man had something to do with this?”

“Rey, don’t you watch the news? A few months ago I exposed Snoke and his criminal ring he was running behind the scenes at Solo enterprises. He was arrested for fraud along with a slew of other things they found out about once they started investigating him. He hung himself in his holding cell before he could be sentenced. I took over the company and I’m building it back into the legitimate company it once was.” He paused for a moment to allow her to absorb it all

“He had a hand in controlling all of his employees lives, he had cameras in some peoples houses, and meddled in affairs he had no right to. I suspected he had something to do with you, but at the time I thought he was just helping me get over you” He looked back to Maz, who was not doing a very good job at hiding her eavesdropping, but continued anyway. 

“He hired a moving company to move me into a penthouse closer to the office while I was in China. When I got to the airport he had a chauffeur waiting for me that brought me to the office to debrief. I had a new cell sitting on my desk that had a new number, he said it was part of an upgrade throughout the company for the best employees. The keys to my new place were there as well. He took my old cell since it was a company phone, but it was dead. I couldn’t check it before I handed it over. That’s when he gave me the letter claiming you dropped it off at the office. He said your stuff was gone when they moved my things, which seemed very creepy that he was going through my residence, but I was so upset with thinking you had gone that I couldn’t think straight. He said you had brought Finn along, that he saw you kissing on the way out the door. Everything in me just crumbled” 

Rey started to object but the words just wouldn’t come. Tears kept rolling and she couldn’t help the sobs that escaped periodically. 

“So he split us up?” She all but whispered. “Why would he do that to us?” 

Ben hesitantly reached out and gently touched her arms before pulling her in close and enveloping her in a warm hug. They both allowed themselves a moment to just breathe each other in. His cologne was the same as ever and his shirt was incredibly soft. Her tear slowed and she was able to stand up a bit straighter 

"I'm so sorry sweetheart, I should have seen the signs. I was so focused on exposing him, I worked with my mother, the FBI, it was all over the news. The big story of the century. I should have realized you would never have just left like that, but when I saw you out there today, obviously moved on, I couldn't help but let my old anger come back. Please forgive me?" He pressed his nose into her hair, holding her close and rocking back and fourth 

“Ben, I am covered in juice and drinks. You don’t want to wreck your expensive clothes” Rey laughed a little trying to push back, but his arms only tightened around her, before squeezing her one last time and allowing his arms to drop

“I don’t care one bit, but you probably want to change. Can I take you home and after you get changed we can talk more? Now that you don’t want to kill me? I owe you a meal anyway since I took yours” 

Rey started to smile before reality seemed to fall around her all at once, leaning against the wall. That heavy feeling back in her chest and stomach

“Won’t your girlfriend object to you hanging out with your ex fiance?” Her reply is dry and sarcastic, but it was better to broach the subject rather than avoid it 

Laughter seemed to bubble out of him, a welcomed sound bouncing around them in the tiny room. He leaned forward, one arm on the wall behind her, inching closer to her ear

“She’s not my girlfriend, far from actually. She’s my associate and we are working on rooting out any other employees that were loyal to Snoke. She won’t care if I disappear for the day. In fact I think she will welcome the break. After I lost you, I became a workaholic and hardly left the office. I was more than a handful too with my temper. You were always the one to balance me out" He stepped back, realizing he had invaded her space more than a little bit 

Hope seemed to bloom in her chest. “Okay, I guess you can come home with me while I change, but I don't want to talk there. We can go anywhere else but there” 

Ben’s face fell, “I won’t bother your boyfriend or maybe husband? I just want to talk if that’s okay. We can stay there if he doesn’t want to deck me. Maybe I can meet him” 

Now it was Rey’s turn to laugh. Her whole body shook, her arms pressing into her sides. Confused, Ben simply waited for an explanation

“There is no boyfriend, dummy, and as for husband that was supposed to be you. But that never happened. My friend Finn that Snoke claimed I was with is engaged to my other friend Rose. He was there helping me get my stuff when, well I thought you threw me out. He may want to deck you but they live across town. It's just me. I just don’t want to have to stay at my place while we talk” 

Ben smiled, motioning for her to lead the way out to the car and saving a quick goodbye to Maz “So what you are saying is you are single Miss?” He winked and she felt her face flush. That’s the man she remembered and loved once. Maybe he wasn't gone like she previously thought


	2. You can always come home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben hears the hard truth of Rey's life since they have been apart. Rey is put in a dangerous situation, Ben comes to the rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are triggered by verbal abuse or physical intimidation please skip this chapter. No harm comes to Rey but she is threatened and intimidated by someone before Ben steps in. She won't be in the situation long but there will also be talk of homeless Rey and lack of food. It's a lot of heavy stuff, lots of backstory. Bear with me, we will get to the good stuff soon

His car was certainly a more expensive model than when they had been together. She felt out of place in her waitress uniform while he was dressed immaculately in designer wear. His car probably cost more than she made in her life time 

“Is this a Tie Silencer?”She asked curiously 

“Yeah, running a multi national billion dollar company does have it’s perks” He smirked a little and pressed the button to start the seat warmer. She practically melted into the soft leather 

"Mr Big shot now huh?" Rey smiled to herself, watching out the window as they drove away

The snow had started up again and was coming down in large flakes, leaving a thick blanket over the town. The roads had been cleared for the most part, but the sidewalks had piled up in most places to be knee deep or more. Rey was grateful not to have to walk through it back home. Her shoes were thin and falling apart, her socks socks still weren't fully dry from the walk to work early this morning. Pointing her feet towards the vent on the floor, she wiggled her them back and fourth happily feeling the tingle of heat return to her semi frozen appendages 

A sudden bump from her stomach reminded her of an important topic she needed to broach. She moved her hand across to the spot as it thumped again. The little taps gave her a sense of calm in all of the storm of life each day. The adrenaline had settled for the most part, but her nerves had come back in full force. This was not how today was supposed to go. The emotional turmoil of her break up with Ben had all been the work of a twisted man. Rey couldn't help but re think all of her feelings towards Ben. A pang of guilt struck her as she thought of the unkind behavior she had shown him. How had everything gotten so messed up? 

Another thump against her hand made her smile. The tiny life inside of her gave her hope for the future. Ben was back in her life. They had a lot to discuss, but her love had found his way back

“Are you okay over there?” Ben asked quietly as she pointed to the final turn

“Yeah, the baby is just kicking” He smiled and they pulled into the building’s parking area. The drive had been short, but relatively comfortable. They sat a moment in the lot, simply adjusting to each other's presence. Ben peeked at her a few times, then stared out the window. He frowned, taking in the site of the complex in front of them

“Rey, is this where you live? It's been been on the news more than once and never for anything good. Wasn't there just a shooting or something?” His face contorted in concern, one eyebrow raised

“It’s the only place I could get that didn't require a deposit and it's cheap enough to live in on a part time salary. Plus I haven't been thrown out for owing a lot of back rent. When you, . . . I mean, when my stuff got thrown out. I had nothing. My old job let me go the day after I got my stuff from your place and my bank account was emptied. I thought you were being spiteful” The look of horror on his face confirmed that he was not the one that had done this to her. 

“It’s okay” She added quickly “I managed” 

Hopping out of the car, he made his way to the passanger seat to offer a hand. Pulling on her threadbare coat, she attempted to brace herself against the wind. Her belly was much to large for the coat to close. Ben pulled his own coat off and quickly covered the front of her. She attempted to protest, but his warm hand at her back guided her to the front of the building where she immediately pulled the coat off and handed it back with a shy smile

Large neon letters spelled out PLUTT’S, the front door hanging crooked on it's frame swung open as the wind whipped into a frenzy. The duo entered, wandering down the hall to her room number 1C. As she inserted the key, it turned with zero resistance, indicating that it had not been locked to begin wtih. She braced herself, sending up a prayer to the universe that it was just her pregnancy brain forgetting to do things again. Her stomach dropped when she looked up to find her landlord leaning against the tiny kitchen counter, his greasy hair slicked back and his eyes narrowed 

“Ben, I need you to stay here okay? Wait for me for a few minutes. I’ll be right back, I promise” Rey quickly added “or maybe it’d be better if you wait in the car?” 

He stood there, his hand instinctively wrapped around her shoulder. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you, I thought you said you live alone” 

Her eyes darted up at that and she smiled “Don’t worry, I’ve got this. I need to talk to him okay? Just don’t leave without me” 

Ben reluctantly let go over her feeling very uneasy. He didn’t like the way that creep looked at her, maybe this was her babies father. Walking to the door, Ben made eye contact with the small, disgusting man. The smell of beer wafted in the tiny area, Ben looked down his nose at the stained white shirt and loudly announced 

“I’m waiting right here in the hall," he turned to Rey "If you need me, just yell” His eyes turned to the man once more, before slipping out the door, leaving it slightly ajar 

Rey took a deep breath, trying to square her shoulders and draw some on the strength knowing that Ben was right outside

“What do you want Plutt? I got paid today, but I haven’t been to the bank yet and I need to change. Can you please leave?” Her voice came out a little shaky. Her emotions had already been raw, this was not going to help 

The older man seemed to slink towards her, a predatory look on his face. He circled, pretending to look at the wall, his fingers brushing along the broken down couch, reaching out and shutting the door with a click. 

In the hall, Ben jumped a bit at the sound, not knowing if this was a conversation he should be eavesdropping on. Especially if this was the father of her child. He couldn't help leaning in, trying to catch bits of what was happening. She was a strong independent woman, she could take on the world, but in her current state with the morning they shared, her emotions and exhaustion must be overwhelming. 

Back in the apartment Plutt had waited a few moments, his head cocked to the side as though listening for sounds outside the door before continuing 

“I took you in girl, you showed up all sad and giving me the I need a place to live excuse. I let you move in here at a good price. You only gave me half rent this month, I just keep adding to what ya owe me. But then I hear from 2B and her kitchen sink still isn’t drainin' right. You were supposed to be there this morning and get that fixed. I don't need no calls looking into it. You know how to fix it, so get over there now before I add on another months rent” His voice was low and menacing, no doubt trying to keep Ben from hearing him

One meaty hand came up cupping her chin as she flinched,forcing her to look directly at him. His smirk unsettled her further. Rey had to suppress the urge to vomit, glaring at him while holding her hands protectively across her stomach. 

“I was working, I’ll get to it this afternoon. I need to go out for a bit, and then I'll get it done before bed” She ground out while backing up a few steps shaking her head as though to shake away the unwanted touch

“Yeah, working. Is that what you call it? I thought you said you don’t turn tricks. Then you come waltzin' in with that tall brute just stinkin' of money? I warned you about lying to me girl!” He took a menacing step closer as his voice began to rise.

“It’s not like that Plutt! I don’t do that stuff, I work at the diner! I will get the rent to you today and I’ll fix Miss Smith’s sink tonight! Okay? I just need to go out for a bit and to do that I need to change. Please get out of here” She felt herself growing desperate to remove this man from her small space

“Oh you can change here, don't mind me. I told ya, my bed is open to work some of it off." His eyes roamed up and down her form, causing her to shutter once more stepping backwards, almost bumping into the wall

"The least you could do is get him to buy you some groceries so I can have something good around here. You must be eatin' good with him, I can see you gettin fat with that kid you got cookin'” He stepped closer again, his breath so disgusting, she couldn't hold it any longer. Her whole body heaved as she threw up the meager bit in her stomach on the floor next to her.

Plutt backed away in disgust

"Why you little snot." raising his hand threateningly, Rey dropped to her knees clutching her stomach and let out a shriek. She knew he was a large man, there would be no fighting back with how little energy she had. Plutt was one to play dirty too, he would not hesitate to hit her most vulnerable side. She could not risk her baby getting injured 

The door burst open and Ben crossed the room in three large steps, grabbing Plutt by the scruff of the neck as he froze at the crashing sound as it swung forward, hit the wall and bounced back, leaving a dent in the thin cheap material 

“If you ever raise a hand to my Fiance again I will be sure they never find your disgusting body” He snarled into the man’s flailing form 

“You can't prove nothin'! I’ll have you arrested! I’ll call the police!” Plutt flailed around screaming while crumbs fell from his shirt and tumbled to the floor “Assault! Assault! Call the cops! Who do you think you are anyway?!”

Ben loomed over the man as he held him tightly. Plutt may be large but his blubbery physique was no match for the muscular man holding him 

“I am your worst nightmare. I am Kylo Ren, CEO of SOLO enterprises. I will be calling the police myself and have you arrested"

"Go ahead, call 'em!" Plutt spit on the floor, aiming for Ben's shoe "I'll have a big old lawsuit on my hands. I'll be set for life, my men will back me up on account of all these injuries you gave me, burstin' in my building and assaulting me" he smirked "Oooh you may have busted my shoulder. Maybe left me unable to work" he feigned holding himself, only causing Ben to hold tighter 

"I'll own your company by the end of the week" he laughed 

Ben's grip tightened on the man's shirt, the neck of his shirt starting to pinch at his airways. He pulled at it, but to no avail. Ben was much stronger 

"Do you really think that I don't have a team of lawyers at my disposal? I will have them investigate every single book you have, I will interview your tenants personally, I will counter sue you into oblivion with class action suits until you have nothing left. I will have all the proof I need of you exploiting your tenants, blackmail, your building is nowhere near code, and I bet your taxes are not being paid correctly. Any side businesses you may be running out of this building will also be investigated. Then you will be prosecuted, sent to jail and never again see the light of day” he snarled

"I'm not the most powerful man in the business for no reason. Do you really think you can take on the might of my company?" he lowered his voice, deep and threatening "Just try me" 

Plutt blanched at this, his flailing slowed 

“Oh sir, I don’t want no trouble now. We was just havin' a good talk. Don't blame me none for hysterical women, am I right?” he tried to laugh, but Ben's glare left no question about his feelings on the subject

"Do you realize the woman you have been pushing around is my Fiance?" 

Ben let the man drop to the floor with a thunk, one thick hand rubbing his neck 

Plutt scrabbled to get up, heading out the door 

"We're not done with this conversation, girl" he pointed back to Rey 

Ben walked over to the door, grabbing the handle "Yes, we are done" before slamming it in his face

He turned back to Rey who was now standing pressed tightly against the wall. As soon as he did she ran into his arms, the tears flowing freely as his hands rubbed soothing circles on her back. When the sobs subsided he spoke up

"Did he hurt you? I wish I had stepped in sooner. I thought you might need some privacy? Is he the one. . . . " his eyes trailed down to her middle 

"Oh, hell no. Not in a million years. He's never been this bold, usually just empty threats and adding money to what I owe him. I don't even know now how much that was up to" She shook her head again, willing this day to just finally come to an end. It was just a little after One o'clock now. She felt exhausted enough, it wouldn't be that hard to go to bed now. 

“Rey, help me pack up your most important belongings. I’m getting you out of here right now. We can send a mover for the rest later” She looked up at him and sniffled but just nodded, too tired to fight it 

"There isn't enough to need a mover. I'll be ready in a few minutes" she grabbed a garbage bag and loaded up her small handful of clothing, a few books, and some personal care items like her toothbrush

She held the bag in her hand, all too familiar of the past, years of being passed between foster homes. What's one more move? She thought dryly 

Rey clung tightly to a small picture frame in one hand, catching Ben's attention. It was the photo they took together on a date together at the State fair. Ben had pulled her into a photo booth and kissed her soundly while the photos snapped away. He had enlarged her favorite one and had it framed as a gift when they got engaged

She noticed his stare and simply shrugged “It was one of the happy memories I had to get me through the darkness. I don’t think I could really ever really hate you. I love you too much for that” The tears started to drip again as they shut the door one last time to the tiny apartment, leaving the key in the door as they left

The walk to the car was silent, an odd tension hung in the air. Ben couldn’t think of anything but the fact she said she loves him, not past tense. He dropped her items in the trunk before helping her into the front seat while she softly sniffled and cozied against the warm seats. Shutting the door he pulled out his new cell, purchased after Snoke was gone, and hit Phasma’s speed dial. She picked up on the second ring, seemingly annoyed, but he could hear the smirk in her voice 

“You need to be rescued from your girl?” 

“Phasma, I need you to take care of a problem. Plutt's place, top priority” He gave a quick run down on the situation, while informing her that he would be out of the office for the week and possibly longer and offered to pay her over time for any extra time it would cost her 

“You're being generous and giving me a break from your nonsense? Is that your old girlfriend? I never did get to meet her before. Bring her around the office soon, okay? I like her already. ” 

He hung up without a goodbye and shoved the phone into his pocket, as thought it’s presence had offended him. How could he think of Rey as an old girlfriend. An ex? 

Thoughts of the office slowly faded and his attention turned back to his love. He could not deny that he had thought of her every day, longed to touch her or reach out, but Snoke had gone and ruined his happiness. Where would they be now if they had remained together? Would they be married now? Having children of their own? He couldn't deny that the sight of her pregnant filled a base desire he did not know existed. A protective instinct. She would want for nothing, of that he would be certain. 

Ben slid into the drivers seat and sat quietly while Rey stared at the photo frame laying across her lap. She had a lot to process right now. He simply laid her hand on her arm before starting the car and turning on the heated seats once more

They pulled out of the parking lot, watching the disgusting building fade as they traveled along the slushy roads. The snow was still falling, lighter than before, but building up on the windows. She watched a moment as each flake flew by, hitting the warmed windshield before melting into nothing 

“I was living behind the dumpster by Maz’s diner.” her voice was small and quiet, breaking the silence hanging in the air

He looked at her shocked, mouth hanging open, but before he could speak she lifted her hand to stop him before she could lose her nerve. Her secret was not one she shared with just anyone. 

“ I had taken the subway home from work that day, with you being out of town I figured I would order in and watch a movie on the couch. I walked up to our building and there was a pile of stuff on the front sidewalk, someone was rummaging around in it. I recognized my clothes, so I walked over. The guy rummaging around took off with some of it in his arms, I yelled but I noticed the note on top. I was in shock. I grabbed what I could and I went up to our place. My key didn't work. I tried knocking and asking people, but no one would give me an answer. They looked at me like I was a stranger. Management got called and when I insisted my key wasn't working, they said I had been removed from thelease and would also be removed from the premises if I continued to make a scene " She took a deep breath 

“I had my purse with me, so I tried calling you. Your phone number said it was disconnected. I tried calling Rose and Finn, I didn't want them to freak out so I told them my stuff was on the sidewalk and I needed help getting it somewhere. They came and picked me up, insisting that I come stay with them, but they aren't allowed any extra guests overnight with their roommates. I stayed that night but got kicked out the next morning. I told them I'd be fine, I would rent a hotel room until I figured everything out and could reach you" She took a deep shuttering breath and continued 

"I went to that place a few blocks down and tried to rent a room. My card got declined. I was freaking out a bit so I called up the bank and they said my accounts had been closed and I was no longer on your account. I slept on the sidewalk outside my work until morning and when I tried to swipe in, the manager seemed pretty mad. She told me I no longer worked there. I still don’t know what I did or what they were told. They refused to tell me. Just said my department no longer needed a project manager” 

“ I didn’t know where to turn. I tried calling Finn and Rose back up but my phone was shut off at that point and it was dying, I had no charger. So I wandered around the city a bit with the few things I could drag with me in my purse. The shelters nearby had beds but they were full and I was turned away by nightfall. I just kept walking for a day or two, fell asleep in the park but I was told that homeless weren’t allowed to sleep there. So I walked some more. Found the dumpster that was behind Maz’s diner, the area was hidden enough that no one would bother me and enough edible food to keep me going” 

The car pulled to a stop as the light turned red 

Rey looked up for a moment to see Ben watching her intently with tears running down his face. She wiped a tear from his cheek before sliding down to hold his hand. He turned back to the road once it turned green again 

"I stayed there for about a month before Chewie caught me out there when he took out the trash early. I thought for sure he was going to call the cops and have me removed. Instead he brought me inside and Maz fed me a big meal. Said she was looking for a waitress part time and offered me a job. I cried a lot. Then she gave me my paycheck early so I could find a place to live and wash up. Plutt’s was close by so I could walk, didn’t require a deposit and was willing to work with payments so I could move in even thought I didn’t have a full month’s rent”

He took her hand and pulled it closer to his chest 

“Rey, had I known this is what happened I would have scooped you up in a heartbeat. Even if I thought you had left me” His eyes brimmed with tears once more 

He leaned over the console and wrapped her in another hug. His own tears seemed to flow freely this time. His precious Rey, the love of his life living like this to survive. Snoke ruined enough lives, he didn’t think Rey would be one of them. 

She sniffled as he leaned back to his seat “It’s okay though, Maz lets me eat whatever food people don’t end up wanting and makes me a meal each day I work. Otherwise I don’t eat because my cupboards always seemed to empty themselves” 

She let out a shaky breath

“Maz even gave me health insurance even though the she doesn’t normally give it to waitresses, especially part time. I get vitamins from them and doctor says I’m under weight but I just tell them I’ve always had trouble with being too skinny" she laughed a bit 

"I take the subway now to go in for ultrasounds and visits, but they are going to want me in more often now that I'm further along. I was not looking forward to more lost wages and having to tell Plutt I wouldn't be able to pay" 

Ben made a mental note to thank Maz later for her extra help and regularly schedule his company catering to go through her with extra tips. Business would never be an issue there again

“Are you okay coming to my new place? I moved again once Snoke was gone. I didn’t want his influence anywhere near me, he had way too much control over my life after you were gone. I still can’t believe I went this long thinking you left me all while you were suffering. I was so angry and sad, but he put you through so much worse” 

“Yes, I guess I can come over. I’m homeless again anyway. I don’t have anywhere to be until my shift Monday" she looked down again at her hands

“Rey, if you are willing to be near me, I want you to come live with me again. You don’t have to feel any pressure, even if you want nothing to do with me after all that happened, I Just want to take care of you like I always should have. I have a home that's just outside of the city. It has plenty of rooms, you could even avoid me completely if you wanted to. I want so badly to care for you properly. Would you allow it?"

The thought of living with Ben again warmed her insides, giving her hope once more. It would be so easy to slide back into his life and pretend nothing had happened. To forget everything and just go back to happy. Would they truly be happy? After all, they had done each other no wrong in the end. She thought about their life together before, how blissful it had been. Yes. In the end, they were two wayward souls searching for each other. They had promised that no matter what life threw at them, they would always work it out. This was a bump in the road, but it was time to get back to happiness 

“Okay Ben, let’s go home”


	3. Let's talk about it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey talk through things, questions are answered. Domestic fluff and maybe some minor smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't keep these two apart

The Silencer quietly pulled up to the tall wrought iron gate at the end of the road. The letter S was monogrammed at the top, twisting pieces of metal created the look of vines around the letter. The iron bars gave the door an old world feel, but swung open at the touch of a button on Ben’s rear view mirror. 

As they drove up the path, she noticed the entire small road was salted and free from the ice that plagued the city streets. The headlights illuminated a single house in the gloomy weather as they pulled into the drive, Looming over them, so fitting of Ben’s own similar stature. Rey smiled to herself, momentarily imagining a giant Ben in his lonely castle, with clouds instead of snow. 

The bottom half of the house was covered in large rocks, giving the feel that it grew up from the ground or was planted by the Fae. The slate colors only added to the natural feel. Many of the windows were large, almost floor to ceiling in the front of the house, with a huge Christmas tree stood in the window, twinkling lights and shiny tinsel glittering as it spun lazily as though it were a shop on the square. 

The large home was a sharp contrast to the upscale apartment complex they had shared in the middle of the busiest part of town. The hustle of every day life had become a white noise, the clicks of high heels down the hall, the chatter, the cars. It was all so noisy. Out here, everything was blessedly silent. The snow only amplifying that, leaving one whispering so as not to disturb the silence

Snow had built up against the side of the house, blowing and swirling before it settled in a lacy pattern, almost as though nature was decorating for the season. The large Christmas wreath hung on the front door cheerily despite the gloom. Ben pressed a button on his key chain and the house lit up with Christmas lights, long strands shining against the darkness of the stormy weather

The garage opened at the press of another button and Ben pulled the car inside, closing it behind them to avoid allowing in any more snow. He jumped out quickly, rounded the side of the car and offered his hand to Rey, assisting her out of the vehicle. It was difficult to remove herself from the cozy heat of the car, but the draw of a couch to stretch out on was too tempting to resist. 

Ben unlocked the door, holding it open for her to come inside. Cautiously she stepped through the door, peeking around the mud room before removing her ratty coat and laying it across the top of the wash machine. There was a coat rack on the wall with a few pegs free, but it felt awkward to hang it next to his pristine cold weather gear

The house itself was gorgeous. Dark wood furniture spread out through the rooms, giving off the impression of a magazine insert or a display at the furniture store. The Christmas lights across the mantle twinkled lazily. 

Spotting a big comfortable looking sectional stretching across the living room, Rey made her way over, kicking off her shoes and flopped down across two sections in the corner sighing. After the day she had, she needed to just rest a few moments and collect herself. Emotions were running high, her whole perception of events flipped upside down, losing her home. Her eyes slipped closed and her breathing slowed. Ben crept up the stairs to change into comfortable clothes and find her something to wear. From the look of the items she brought, it was all too small for her growing belly anyway

He quietly came back down the stairs and caught sight of her sleeping form. The love of his life, his precious Rey back where she belonged, peacefully existing in his space again. He rubbed his eyes a few time, sure that this had to be a sleep deprived dream his mind had come up with to deal with the stress 

His thoughts turned darker as he thought over the hardships she admitted to enduring without him, all of the heartache that had been caused, and what she must have thought of him all this time.

He felt guilty for the way he had acted just that morning. He had not expected to see her, heavy with child much less bring her home before dinner. 

She shifted on the couch, breaking him from his thoughts. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around confused before looking around, seeming to remember where she was

“Hey there sleepy head, you want to go nap on a bed? It might be more comfortable”

“No. I shouldn’t be sleeping right now. I have to work tomorrow, can I wash my work clothes and use your shower? I never did get a chance to change” She gestured down to the front of her sticky shirt, it crept up a bit at the movement and her soft skin peeked out underneath. She tugged it down quickly as though embarrassed at her inability to keep herself covered. 

“I’ll call Maz, you go get in the shower, or bath if you want, and I’ll wash your clothes. Just leave them on the counter so I can get them while you bathe. I brought down an extra shirt and some sweats you can wear”

She smiled and climbed up off the couch, stretching her arms up high. This time her shirt came up completely and Ben couldn’t help but be in awe of her changing body. No matter who had fathered her child, he could see himself caring for them. He had plenty of extra rooms, decorated up for guests who were never invited to stay anyway. It would be so easy to clear one out to make a nursery deserving of Rey’s child. Ben had always envisioned having a family with her, from before they were even engaged, he had wished they would start one of their own. While this may not have been an ideal way to get there, he wanted to make things right

Rey pointed “Which way to the bathroom?”

“You can use the master bathroom, it’s got a huge tub with jets or a shower. Use whatever you want. And take all the time you need. I’ll give you the tour” 

“Thank you Ben” She all but whispered 

Rey climbed the stairs slowly with Ben trailing behind her, placing his hand across her lower back. She could feel the comfortable heat of his skin through her thin shirt, grounding her. He guided her through his bedroom, his huge king sized bed with a canopy looked awfully comfortable. The dark and silky comforter matched the canopy hanging overhead. All of the furniture matched the dark wood, intricately carved and so clean it appeared to be brand new. 

“How long ago did you move here?” She couldn’t help but wonder

“About a month ago actually. It’s like the house we used to talk about moving to one day. I was basically living at the office, I’d come to my apartment, sleep and be right back at work first thing in the morning. I finally decided once I took over as CEO that I should at least try to look like it. I had a designer step in and decorate, though they went a little overboard on the Christmas stuff” 

Ben reached over to flick on the light switch, her breath once again seemed to be knocked from her body. The ornate tub looked more like a small pool, the jets and knobs all around hinted at a luxurious experience, though she wasn’t sure she could handle it with the baby. The shower and it’s massive rainfall head made the decision a tough one. Compared to the tiny shower that hardly allowed her to turn around with her growing belly, this was almost too much. 

It must have shown, because Ben turned her around to him. Holding her arm and using his hand to gently tilt her face up, stroking the side of her cheek

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. You are here now, safe with me. I can stay in here while you shower or help you if you need. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before” he chuckled almost sadly

“I would really like it if you stayed. I don’t really want to be alone right now” 

“Then I’ll stay. Let me grab you a couple towels” he kissed the crown of her head “I’ll be right back” 

Rey started to peel off her sticky clothes, the shirt and bra first. She went to remove her pants that were pulled way below her belly with a rubber band across the button to hold them closed, when Ben walked back in and came to a stop

Resisting the urge to try and cover herself, Rey continued to undress. Her old jeans dropped and her underwear followed. She turned around and held his gaze. “How do you turn this on?” before giggling a bit to herself as she watched his cheeks grow red 

“Uhh. . . Oh the tub or the shower?” 

“The tub, I get tired in the shower really quick these days. Plus I haven’t had a bath in so long. My apartment didn’t have one” 

Ben walked past her to turn on the water, testing it to be sure it did not get too hot, and grabbed a bottle of bubble bath from beneath the sink

Rey looked up at him with one eyebrow raised “I’ve never known you to take a bubble bath” 

“When you were gone, I was at the grocery store and remembered that this was your favorite way to unwind. I picked up a bottle and I have taken a few soaks with it. It’s comforting. It reminded me of you” he shrugged and turned back to the water, running his hands back and fourth to spread the soap around

Rey smiled to herself, seeing that he had not forgotten or moved on while they were apart. While she wished she could remove the heartache, it was comforting to see that he had missed her as much as she had missed him

The water began to fill, creating a calming white noise while bubbles began to grow. Ben tried to look elsewhere, but couldn’t help peeking at her before focusing on the soft rug on the floor, his ears and cheeks burning as he caught sight of her pert breasts before he once again tried not to stare 

Rey laid her hand on his forearm “Help me step in please? I don’t want to fall. I am a bit clumsy as you saw this morning. Not quite used to being so top heavy”

He took her hand in his, the other hand rested on her back once more. The bare smooth skin of her naked back begged to be touched. He remembered a time when running his fingers up and down that skin caused her to squirm and sigh. 

“Do you want me to help you wash your hair?” He asked, but started reaching for the bottle before she could answer. After today, she deserved some pampering 

She slipped down carefully into the water and closed her eyes, savoring the warm water lapping at her skin as the tub continued to fill. His large hands gently laid her back to wet her dark hair and he began to lather the soap, combing his fingers gently across her scalp. All of the grime from the day was washed away as he conditioned and massaged. It felt so good to be cared for again, to be touched in a loving way. 

Her body relaxed, having forgotten everything around her, she simply allowed herself to drift, her chest and belly peeking above the water as her lower half floated up a bit. Not caring, she simply lay there allowing him to care for her, even if he was getting quite the eye full in the process. Like he said, it’s nothing he hasn’t seen before. Though the red shade his face and ears turned while trying to avoid peeking had been so endearing. She had longed for his touch, trying to sate herself but found his name on her lips no matter how hard she had tried to forget 

After he finished rinsing her hair, Ben lathered up a large bath poof and offered to wash her body. She paused a moment, thinking if it would be better to let up on him a bit or give in and take the help. There were quite a few places that were getting difficult to reach. Practicality won out and she asked 

“Can you please?” before grabbing his hand to stand up, facing the wall with her arms held to the side

He started with her arms, moving down her sides and across her back and down onto her pert backside. Turning her around, he took his time smoothing the soap over every inch and watching as the suds ran down her bump.

Hesitant to cross any lines, he gave a questioning look as his hand reached her chest. She gave an encouraging nod before he continued. With small strokes he cleaned each breast as she leaned into the touch, brushing her finger tips up and down his arm as he continued to scrub down her form. He washed down from the top of her belly down her sides and down to her legs. 

“Rey, would you like to finish cleaning yourself?" he gestured below her belly "I don’t want to make you uncomfortable” He held out the bath poof as an offering, before she laughed 

“I know you never had trouble touching that area Ben, I can’t reach myself very well. Would you please?” she stared up at him through her lashes, swiping her tongue across her bottom lip, a lustful gleam in her eye

While she held his arm for stability, his other hand pressed the poof down below her belly, lathering soap at the soft curls

His finger slipped from the scrubber and between her folds briefly before withdrawing 

A breathy moan escaped as her eyes closed, making Ben feel bolder, watching the effect he still held on her body 

It was almost too much to handle, flashing back to the sounds they made together in what seemed to be another life time. She must have remembered as well, her cheeks growing red, a “sorry” escaping her lips. 

“Never be sorry, sweetheart. I’d gladly hear that noise any time you would allow me to” his hand slipping back between her legs, punctuating the sentiment with another swipe of his finger through her heat before withdrawing it once more and starting the hand held to rinse her off completely

“Let’s get you out of there before I end up in the bath with you” he smirked 

“Don’t tempt me Solo” came the daring reply, her expression was dark and lustful 

“These hormones have me hornier than usual, and I remember what your fingers and tongue can do” She winked before stepping out in front of him, dripping wet. It took all of his strength to reach for a towel and wrap her up in it. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel she had to repay him or regret her decision later. 

“Come on princess, let’s feed you two” he rumbled patting her skin dry with the towel and ushering her into the bedroom to change

Rey knew he was struggling a bit so she decided to press the envelope just a bit more to make her point and show that she still very much wanted him. Maybe it was rushing things, but the rush of hormones took over the rational side of her brain. It had been all too long. 

Dropping the towel to the floor she stepped up close to him and held her arms in the air, just as she had done when they were together and he would help her dress on occasion. Her breasts were on full display and her heart skipped a beat watching the hunger in his eyes and careful movements he made.

He pulled the shirt over her head, carefully guiding her arms in, fingers brushing the side of her sensitive chest and down to her stomach as he covered her up, tugging the bottom of the shirt and letting his fingers slide lightly against her thighs

She stood on her toes a moment, leaving a quick kiss to his chest before exclaiming “Oh! I don’t think I have any other underwear with mine in the wash. It was laundry day” Before bending forward to look in his drawers “Is it okay if I borrow a pair of yours?”

Ben groaned watching her bend over, wiggling her naked backside a little more than necessary as she searched the absolutely full drawer for a pair she liked. He slid up behind her, hands roaming her belly and sides 

“You my sweet are making this day a lot harder than it should be. I have wanted you so long, but I want to wait until you are fully settled and happy here before we make a decision on how to move forward. I don’t want you to feel obligated or regret anything because of this arrangement. My feelings for you never changed, I absolutely never gave up loving you” 

She sighed contently at the feel of hot breath on her neck as he spoke. His nose nuzzling her earlobe, gently nipping at it 

“I never stopped loving you either, Ben.”

Reaching forward and tangling her fingers in his hair, a gentle tug had him down at her level 

“I was hurt, but I would have given anything to have you come back to me. I dreamed you would knock on my door and tell me you still wanted me, that it was all a mistake and you hadn’t forgotten me. I never thought it could happen for real”

He stopped rocking, standing up to his full height Holding her face in his hand, he whispered 

“My love, I could never forget you. I am so thankful for you being willing to hear me out, to work through this ridiculous mess and especially” he bent over to kiss her cheek gently, his full lips brushing her face for a moment “for maybe allowing me to love you once more?” his dark chocolate eyes held hers intently 

“You could have easily turned me away, screamed and shouted. But you so graciously allowed me back. To be at your side once more. I don’t know what I did in this universe to deserve that, but I promise you I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. To care for you and your child” 

“There is nothing to make up for Ben. It was out of our control. But I’ve always believed we were soulmates. You found your way back to me” she reached out to embrace him once more.

“You came back and that’s what matters. Snoke is gone and he can’t hurt us again”

Ben reluctantly peeled himself away from her, sheepishly handing her his sweatpants and backing out of the room 

“Come find me once you are dressed. You must be starving” He felt a pang of guilt knowing she was not able to eat because of him today

Rey settled on the bed while she pulled the sweat pants on slowly. They were stretchy enough to pull up over her bump and still feel comfortable enough to walk around in. She decided to go without underwear since his were definitely not going to work. The T shirt covered over her belly just fine 

She came down the stairs to find Ben busy in the kitchen slicing pieces of cheese and meat, stacking them with crackers. A jug of apple juice sat on the counter next to some wine glasses 

“I’m famished” she announced walking up behind him to plant a kiss on his spine “That looks so good. Oh, I can’t have deli meat unless it’s been heated first. Keeps listeria from the baby the doctor said” 

“How are you supposed to heat it?” He seemed genuinely worried about making it right. “I’m new to all of this” 

“Just stick it in the microwave for a bit, then let it cool or put it in the freezer to cool down fast. I don’t get the chance to eat it often, but the doctor says it’s what’s safest. Just like I can’t have cookie dough until baby is here” 

It seemed strange to talk about the baby so much. She had to hide it for most of her pregnancy to avoid the looks that people gave to her, being single and obviously struggling. She hated the judgmental eyes and comments people made. Especially at work. No one seemed to care if she heard the harsh words 

Ben busied himself preparing the meat as she instructed while she took the opportunity to help pour the juice

“I can get that for you, go sit down and put your feet up” he tried to shoo her from the room

“It’s okay, I can help. You’ve already done so much. Besides, I’m so thirsty. I have to drink a lot during the day”

He seemed to absorb the information, grabbing some ice and dropping it in the cups with a plunk. Once it was prepared and on a tray, they wandered to the large living room and on to the huge sectional. Rey chose the spot with a long area to lay or put her feet up while Ben chose to sit close by, food laid out on the cushion beside her 

They ate in companionable silence, Ben only picking at a couple of pieces and allowing Rey to eat until she was full and pushed the plate back towards him

“I haven’t eaten this much in so long, I might puke. One good baby flip though and I’ll probably end up hungry again” 

“I’ll feed you wherever and whenever and as much as you would like. You won’t ever be hungry again” His eyes were serious “I promise” 

She reached out to hold his hand and a single tear rolled down her face. With a sniffle she wiped it away quickly “Sorry, I get emotional over everything right now. I haven’t cried this much in my whole life”

“I thought I was so independent. That I would be fine when, . . . it all happened. It was like the entire universe was working against me. No one takes you seriously in a T shirt and with no permanent address, no place to keep myself showered. Once I moved in Plutts, he forced me to work off my debt by working maintenance. He made sure I never had time to search for another job, and I was so exhausted and sick it was all I could do to make it through the day” 

“You are strong and you could be independent if you want Rey. Your body has been busy growing another whole life within you, be gentle with yourself. I know you can do it all, just please allow me to help”

He stood up, giving her a quick kiss to the head and collected the dishes and deposited them into the sink. The cleaning service could handle that later.

He pulled out his cell and dialed up Maz’s personal number. After the second ring Chewie answered “Hey kid, you have Rey? Is she okay?” 

Ben chuckled as he wiped up the counter “Yeah, she’s here and she’s fine. I was calling about her work. I need to know if she can get some time off to get settled. I moved her back in with me, we’ve worked things out” He paused a moment 

“I won’t ever hurt her. We were tricked into thinking we had left each other by my old boss, possibly others were involved. He had his hand in the Mafia and all sorts of illegal crap. I have a feeling he made things especially difficult on Rey for a reason. I’ll be looking into it. I promise you, she has always been the love of my life. I should have introduced you before all of this went down”

“I know kid, Maz heard enough while you were here, we pieced most of it together. We got someone to cover all her shifts for a couple weeks and if she chooses she can stay on with us with hours she chooses or you can take care of her. But boy, don’t you dare mess this up or I will rip your arms off in a heart beat” he growled into the phone 

“Thanks uncle Chewie. I’ve got her, but I’ll let her decide what she wants to do. I don’t know if she wants to work right now or wait until after the baby is born, or if she wants to go back into her field of work. We will let you know. Thanks for taking care of her when I couldn’t” he couldn’t help the tears that sprang into his eyes or the voice crack at the sentiment. 

“Take care of her kid. See ya around” The phone clicked to signal the end of the conversation, wiping his eyes and letting out a shaky breath 

Rey spoke up from the door way 

“Uncle Chewie? He’s your uncle?” Ben jumped, he hadn’t meant for her to hear her talking about work right now, trying to keep her from stressing after this morning’s ordeal

“Yeah, you could say that. Him and Maz are family friends who sort of became just family after a while. I’m glad they found you. You didn’t ever tell them it was me that you had been engaged to, otherwise I know they would have hunted me down on your behalf” he chuckled 

“I didn’t tell them anything about my life before. Just that I was alone and needed a job” she stared at her feet a moment

“Do you think it was Snoke that got me fired? Or got my phone turned off and why my bank account was empty? Everything happened so fast” 

He embraced her, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead “That is a worry for another day. I promise you I will get to the bottom of all of this mess, but right now I just want you to relax. All of this stress is not good for you. Also you have the next couple weeks off, then we can talk about what you want to do about work” 

She turned around to go back to the couch with Ben following closely behind. He fluffed up some pillows and sat her against them. Propping up their feet, he settled against the cushions with his arm around her shoulders, gently rubbing a pattern while he clicked on Netflix, turning on her favorite Star Wars movie. 

About half way through, she had scooted down to lay her head against his chest, his hand had settled down on her belly. The baby had begun to kick and move as soon as she stretched out, giving room in her uterus for the small acrobat to flip and practically bounce around, causing Ben to periodically smile when a kick would bump into the spot where his hand laid 

By the end of the movie, they had adjusted so that Ben’s back was now across the couch with his head resting on the armrest, his legs apart with Rey laying between them and across his chest. One of his legs hung from the couch to accommodate her belly. Neither wanted to move. 

Before long, Rey had to get up for a bathroom break. She was reluctant to leave his embrace, not really sure when they had slid down into such a position. 

“What time is it?” She asked sleepily while she wandered to the bathroom down the hall, not wanting to climb the stairs again for a quick bathroom break. 

"Time for bed, Let's get you settled. I'll take one of the spare bedrooms or the couch okay so you can have plenty of room?" He slowly led her up the stairs

"Ben, I can't kick you out of your own bed. Let me take one of the spare rooms okay?" She pushed open the door next to his room, peeking inside. It was done up in light colors, the bed covered in tiny flower embroidered onto the tucked silky fabric. 

"Whatever makes you most comfortable. I am just next door if you need anything" Ben kissed her head once more and reluctantly left into his own bedroom. He left the door propped open before climbing into bed

After such a long day, She was glad to be able to lay down in such a soft comfortable bed. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep

Around midnight a shriek tore through the house, shattering the silence. Ben lept from bed and tore into Rey's room, flipping on the light, panting lightly as adrenaline coursed through his body

She was still asleep, her covers thrown to the floor, pillow stuffed under the side of her belly, her small hands gripping the sheets on the bed. A light sheen of sweat covered her brow. Another shout came, quieter this time, along with mumbled words 

Ben crept over to her bedside, lightly gripping her shoulder, whispering her name until her eyes opened, she backed away as she sat up in a panic. It took a moment for her to register who was touching her

"Rey, is everything okay? You were screaming, I think you were having a nightmare" He held out his arms and she threw herself into them, relishing the warm comfort of his embrace

"I'm sorry I woke you" she held tighter "I thought I was still at my apartment. It felt so real, like everything that happened yesterday was the dream. Plutt was there, but you weren't there. I was so afraid he was going to hurt the baby" She sniffled and wiped her eyes

"You know, if you want, you can sleep in my bed. I know I always slept better when I was holding you" He stood up, offering his hand out to her 

With a silent nod, she stood up, not letting go of his hand, and followed him into his bedroom

He laid down on his side of the bed, the same side he used to sleep on before, and turned down the sheets for her patting the pillow as an invitation

Rey ignored the pillow in favor of his arms, her head nestled into his chest before dozing off again. Ben lay back into the pillow, smiling to himself, before falling asleep

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

The night had been uneventful after the nightmare had gone. They slept soundly until Rey had to disentangle herself for a bathroom break. She climbed back into bed and snuggled back into Ben's arms. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand she groaned: 10:30 am and neither one wanted to move 

About ten minutes passed before she stretched herself, arms above her head and fingers brushing the headboard. Ben stretched as well, his arms reaching across her to run his fingers down her arms

With a shiver, she pressed her back and bottom against him as he bucked his hardness lightly against her in his half asleep state. 

Another buck of his hips, his hands bracing on her hips before a sigh escaped her lips at the glorious friction. Ben stilled his movements, a red tinge rising to his cheeks again as he realized what he had been doing 

A quick kiss to the crown of her head and he rolled off the bed and ducked into the bathroom, leaving Rey a little frustrated. She knew he meant well, but was getting tired of waiting 

It took a few tries to get off the bed, the memory foam left her melting into the mattress. Once she managed to extricate herself, she crept down the stairs and to the dryer. Her clothes were pristine, at least in cleanliness. Ben had used some sort of stain remover on all of the spots she had accumulated from working at both the Diner and Plutt's. 

Pulling on her pair of jeans, she folded the pants down as far as she could get away with and tied her hair band across the button to hold the pants on without being able to button them

She pulled off the shirt Ben had lent her, smelling it once more before dropping it in the wash. His cologne still lingering in the fibers. She was rummaging around for a bra when she heard the door hinge squeak softly as Ben walked in

Still topless, she grabbed the bra from the dryer and stood up, maintaining eye contact before holding out the clothing to him

"Could you please help me get this on" 

He snagged the bra, slipping it over her shoulders and turning her around to do the buckle. As he finished clasping the last hook, he slid his finger beneath the strap, stroking back and fourth, simply feeling her skin as she sagged against him slightly

He couldn't help but follow the curve of the fabric around her bust, stopping at the edge

"This does not fit anymore. I think you might just burst out of it" 

"My body is getting ready for milk for the baby. They won't be that big for very long. Maybe a year or so before they go back to being tiny" she huffed

"Sweetheart, you know I loved you the size you were, and right now there is just more of them to love. This just can't be very comfortable" he ran his fingers against the straps once more where they pressed tightly into her skin 

With a quick and practiced movement he unhooked the bra once more with one hand, dropping it back down off of her 

"It's just us" he breathed "Leave it off until we have to go somewhere so you can be comfortable" 

"I should probably make some calls today" He nuzzled against her ear "Do you want me to take you anywhere or would you like to stay home and rest" 

Rey shivered again, completely topless, his hot breath tickling her neck as he panted softly

"Staying home sounds amazing. I guess everything else can wait until tomorrow" Her eyes were closed once more, just content to feel his body against hers

"I promise I'll spend time with you, I Just need to make some quick calls before this evening" With a kiss on her nose, he handed her a shirt before he was out the door again, his body still burning with desire.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Ben spent the rest of the morning and afternoon making various calls to work, sending off emails and working with Phasma on some last minute assignment that had him feeling frustrated. Physically and emotionally. Everything had piled up on him 

Rey had taken up residence on the couch, watching Netflix and munching on whatever snacks she could find. So far it had been some popcorn, half a box of crackers, a piece of toast and a bagel with cream cheese. At lunch she had left a sandwich with some carrots at the end of his bed at lunch time, mouthing a quick "sorry" to her as he continued on with his call 

It was pitch black out before she wandered up to his room and found him lost in his computer with his phone on speaker next to him, his hands running through his hair with a frustrated sigh. 

Climbing up on the bed next to him, she placed her small hands on his back and began to scratch back and fourth. He leaned into the touch, his attention leaving the call only to have Phasma's voice bring him back to reality 

"Phasma, I need to go. Take the rest of the day off if you want. Now that everything is settled I'll be back in two weeks" He clicked the phone off before she could reply 

"I didn't mean to interrupt, you just look so stressed" Rey held her hand against his back, leaning down to look at his face

"No, I'm sorry. That was supposed to be a couple quick calls. I got roped into finishing off things I left at the office and some other things needed my attention. So I set up actual vacation time instead so I could be home with you" 

She smiled, holding her hand in his and giving a quick squeeze before excusing herself to the bathroom

He slid his phone from his pocket and clicked it on to reveal his background screen, displaying a photo of them together at his parents house, taken a year prior. He stared at it, as he had done for months, but now instead of of longing, he couldn’t help but wonder if she would allow him a new photo to replace it, displaying her round belly. 

“It’s just about 5:30, are you up for some dinner?” He said loudly, knowing she was just behind the door. He could hear the water running as she washed her hands before making her way down the stairs, Ben following closely behind 

“I’m starving, what do you want to eat?” Feeling bold she padded her way back over to the couch with him, pressing him into the couch before turning to sit across his knees, his arms automatically embracing her form and holding tightly against him

“Hmm. I could make something for us? I think I saw some chicken in the freezer or some hamburger” She offered, her head tilting back against his shoulder, nuzzling his face. She could feel the scratch of the stubble starting to grow there 

“No way sweetheart, I’m not making you cook after a day like today. Let’s order out, unless you want me to take you somewhere special?” 

“No thank you. I want to stay here and just be held if that’s okay with you. I’ve missed the comfort of being held and touched. I don’t know if that’s some sort of weird pregnancy craving, but I feel like I’m craving touch” she wiggled backwards, pressing her back into his chest until they were flush

“I’ll touch you all that you want love, I’ve missed you as well. But that won’t feed you. How about we just order some pizza and I’ll keep you right here on my lap” The content moan she made was enough of an answer 

Ben pulled up the food delivery app, adding a few extra pizzas and various sides to ensure there was enough food around until they could make it to the grocery store

After tapping out the special instructions on navigating into the private gate and finalizing the order, he clicked the phone closed and slipped it onto the couch next to them 

“It’ll be about half an hour. What would you like to do until then?” he nuzzled against her once more, earning a breathy sigh in return

“We could start another show, I don’t know what you watch, or maybe start a movie”

His fingers trailed lightly up her arm and to her neck, brushing aside her dark hair so he could plant his lips against the column of her throat. 

They sat together for a while, touching and holding one another. When the door bell rang, Rey let out a sigh and scooted off of his lap. 

Swinging the door open, Ben thanked the driver. As the food was passed in the door, the young driver froze, practically whispering “You’re. . . You’re Kylo Ren aren’t you?” His face breaking out in a wide grin "Can I get your autograph?" 

“Have a good night” Ben passed the shaking blonde a crisp $100 tip and closed the door quickly

Dropping the food on the coffee table, he glanced up to find Rey smirking at him 

“What?” He couldn’t help but smile at her

“So you became quite the celebrity huh?” 

“I hate the internet. When I stepped up as CEO after clearing out a lot of Snoke’s lackies, I did an interview with the news. Snoke had been with the company from the beginning, it was hard to know who was still loyal to him. They framed me as a regular Batman, ridding the city of villanry, supposed Playboy millionaire who finally took over my rightful place at the head of my family company.”

He shook his head and laughed 

“They got hung up on one of my photos and it went viral. Girls started showing up out of nowhere, trying to get me to take photos with them, asking me out, and they used that to perpetuate that idea. I spent so much time at the office though, I've been able to avoid a lot of it, but the celebrity status has it’s downsides”

Rey giggled before grabbing his phone from the couch 

“Okay now this I have to see” 

“Wait!” he went to grasp the phone, but she had already clicked it on. Staring at her was the photo of them, her own face smiling wide and Ben kissing her cheek 

A smile crept onto her face “I remember this. It’s a new phone though, where did you get this photo?” 

“My mother sent it to me” he shrugged 

"I called her earlier and she's coming by tomorrow. She insisted on taking you out for a girls day" he watched her reaction carefully "If that's okay with you of course" 

Her face lit up, Leia had been like a mother to her. Losing her had been almost as painful as losing Ben

"You know, she always told me something had been up with everything that happened. I was so lost in grief, I didn't really listen to her at first. But she's always told me "Hope is like the sun" and you had always been my sunshine in the night. She probably wants some well deserved gloating about being right and no, she doesn't know about the baby. At least not from me, I don't know if Maz has mentioned it. 

Rey smiled and flipped open the internet, searching for Kylo Ren, the name he had chosen to work under. Among the top articles that showed up was a very flattering photo of him and a headline “Handsome Solo royalty: Kylo Ren inherits the throne of his father’s company, ousting Richard Snoke in a shocking turn of events. Click here to read more” 

The next article down had a few blurry paparazzi photos of Ben holding a bag at the supermarket with a few girls crowded around him labeled “Breaking hearts in Whole foods, the now CEO Kylo Ren leaves a trail of swooning fans behind him everywhere he goes”

She couldn’t help but laugh at this “You’ve been out breaking hearts huh? You sure I’m not stealing you away from your string of groupies?” 

He grabbed the phone, tossing it back on the couch and began to tickle her sides, earning a few shrieks as he continued the barrage 

“Wait! Stop! I’m gonna pee myself. Don’t tickle a pregnant woman!” her laughter carried in the quiet house

“Don’t read that trash, I went to the store and was practically assaulted by people who were overly zealous about my hair. It’s been incredibly weird” 

“Well, they just saw how handsome you are. I get it, you have always had me swooning” her lips puckered as she gave him a dreamy look

Ben leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, freezing as they touched and pulling back quickly 

“I’m sorry, Rey. I shouldn’t have done that. It’s not my place to overstep. I can't seem to find the line with you. Maybe it's time we set some ground rules for my behavior and what you are comfortable with. I have been slipping into old habits rather easily" 

He took a deep breath "Please tell me what would make you comfortable"

Rey lifted her hand, touching his face gently to turn him back towards her 

“Ben, I know the time apart has been rough on both of us. If you are willing, I do want to go back to like it was before. If you want to date again? I don’t know how that works since we’ve been apart” she let out a breathy chuckle, before continuing quickly

“There isn’t exactly a handbook on situations like this, you know?. Would you like to just play it by ear? Get used to being with each other again and just do what feels right. Because I don’t like you having to apologize for everything you do. If I’m uncomfortable I’ll tell you to stop okay?” She licked her lips, his eyes following the movement, before pushing forward to kiss him gently. 

It was a soft kiss, full of promise. Her stomach flipped, but she quickly realized that the baby was awake

“Ben, before we go any further, we should talk about this” she gestured down to her large belly and glanced at him 

“You don’t have to tell me who’s it is if you don’t want. I’d take care of you and your child no matter their origin. I want you safe and happy, I just love you. I never stopped” He moved his large hand to cover hers across her belly 

“You can choose to have the babies father in their life, I won’t get in the way. If you’ll allow I still want to marry you one day and have a family. We can be a blended family or you can have contact with him at any time. If you want to go back to him, I still would like to be in your life in any way you choose. I don’t think I could handle losing you again” He held her gaze, his other hand sliding down to hold one of hers

"It's always been up to you, Rey. You decide how this goes" his lip trembled as he tried to keep his emotions in check thinking of the possibility of her leaving him for another man who had a tie between them that he could not compare to, a tiny child growing in her. 

Trying to lighten the mood, he gazed down at her middle 

“Is the baby moving?” He rubbed both hands around her belly, laying flat to feel. A small bump seemed to answer. His delighted laughter broke any tension 

“I guess that answers that. How far along are you? Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” He asked sincerely. He didn’t sound upset at all, simply curious about the little life growing inside of her 

“No, I had the ultrasound tech put the answer into an envelope so I could give it to the father if he ever wanted to know before the birth. It didn’t feel right without him there with me” She said, a little unsure 

“If it's okay for me to ask, Why wasn’t he there with you? Since you said you don’t have a boyfriend or husband, I assumed you broke up at some point. You didn’t get assaulted did you?--” 

The questions started coming out quicker as Ben started to panic about what may have happened. She had been alone and in the streets. He would hunt down the man if he had to just to make it right for Rey and her child

She reached out and grabbed his face, holding him still 

“Ben, are you really sure you want to be involved? I want you to be totally sure. Having a baby in your life would change things forever” Her voice was small and fierce

“Always sweetheart, no matter what, I will be there for you both. I have always wanted a family with you. This is just a little boost to get us started” the smile on his face was so genuine and sweet she almost started to cry again. He was too good 

“Ben?” 

“Yes?” 

“To answer one of your questions, I’m just over 7 months along” 

He smiled and nodded along trying to figure out around when the baby would be born, but after a moment it started to make sense. It had been seven months almost to the day since they were parted 

All at once he allowed himself to think that just maybe. . . 

He held her gaze, searching for the answer 

“Is it. . . ? ” he took a deep breath “Could it really be. . . ?” 

“Yes Ben, it’s yours. There could never be anyone else. You are going to be a daddy”


	4. Grandmother of all interruptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just couldn't keep these two apart. Daily life continues, Ben and Rey get some alone time. Leia takes Rey out with some minor drama involved

Ben took a few deep breaths, tears began to stream down his face as he shook his head 

“Ben, are you okay?”

“I have a baby.” He stared at her for a moment. “We have a baby!” He excitedly jumped up and covered his mouth, spinning in a small circle before dropping down to her level 

“Can I. . . Can I talk to them?” He knelt down next to the couch and close to her belly, his hands sliding under her shirt 

“Yes, they can hear you”

Ben leaned down close to her, pressing her shirt up, enough to reveal her belly, his hot breath tickling slightly where he placed his mouth just half an inch away from the skin

“Hey there baby. I know you haven’t really heard from me, but I’m your daddy.” 

He pressed his lips against her in a silent kiss before continuing 

“You are so loved little one. I would have cared for you even if you were not mine, but now. . . knowing a piece of me is growing inside mommy. . .” 

Ben felt her shudder as she sobbed quietly at his admission. He climbed up next to her, holding his arms out for her to burrow into his side

“Do you still have the envelope with the answer? We can find out together” he whispered into her hair as he held her

“It’s in the frame, behind the photo of us together that I brought with me” she sniffled “I wanted the baby to be close to you” The tears started up again as he simply rocked her back and fourth whispering sweet words of comfort.

“Can we wait until tomorrow or maybe another day? I’ve had enough emotions and crying right now”

Ben was quick to agree

Leading her back upstairs to his bedroom, Ben pulled down the covers and patted the bed as an invitation. She slid under the covers before he ducked out of the room, coming back with a pair of her underwear in his hand. Blushing a bit, he reached for the band of his borrowed pants, shimmying them down her legs. 

“You need to be comfortable. I know you liked sleeping without pants to get tangled in, but I figured you might want some underwear, unless it's too uncomfortable” 

The thought of going to bed naked was tempting, but maybe a little too obvious on her part. She nodded her head in silent agreement

“Lift your leg for me” his voice rumbled softly

He gently slid one foot in at a time, dragging the underwear up and covering her before he could do anything too forward. This was not the time to get her too worked up, though his hunger for her had been reignited in full force 

Ben climbed in the bed on his regular side, snuggling down into the pillow. His arms automatically surrounded her, laying one large hand on her baby bump, feeling the comforting movement of his child safely tumbling inside of her, the product of his love manifested in physical form

Exhaustion took hold as the pair slipped into a deep sleep, legs tangled together. Not a single nightmare plagued either of them throughout the entire night

The next morning Rey awoke to sunshine warming her face and her back pressed firmly against Ben still snuggled against her under the sheets. The blankets had been kicked off in the night. Unlike her drafty apartment, the heating worked very well in his beautiful home 

She tried closing her eyes again but a small thud against her bladder said otherwise. Slowly she attempted to lift his large arm from around her, but it only served to make him curl up harder and pull her closer, pressing his nose into her hair once more. Her backside pressed firmly against him, one good wiggle backwards and his hips bucked up against her, a firm nudge of his hardness against her. 

“Ben, I need up. The baby is pushing on my bladder. I have to go to the bathroom real quick” 

His arm lifted enough for her to scoot out from under the comforting weight, keeping his eyes closed as though he could delay the inevitable. A glance at the clock on the bed side confirmed his suspicions. It was hardly 6:45 

After taking a bathroom break, Rey pulled Ben’s T shirt up and stood in front of the huge mirror in the master suite. She hadn’t gotten a good look at herself in a while. Her belly was round and smooth and so large in contrast to the rest of her. Lack of access to food had made her small and slight. It made her a bit sick realizing just how bad things had gotten. 

The door creaked open and Ben immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her back against him and gliding his hand over her belly up and down in a soothing pattern while watching her in the mirror 

“I still can’t believe we created this” he whispered in her ear, his breath tickling slightly and sending a shiver down her spine

“I can only guess about when it happened” his voice was sleepy and quiet.

His fingers trailed lower to the base of her roundness and down her legs slightly before finding their way back up. He rocked slowly side to side, a slow dance against her skin as he pressed himself into her back and bucking against her on instinct as she pressed herself further into him, stretching on her toes to rub herself against his hard length 

These hormones were going to kill her, she thought feeling the surge of heat down low, her underwear growing damp as her heart raced faster 

“And what do you remember?” the words felt sultry and sensual in the calm morning, everything around them quiet 

“I seem to remember you brought home some pretty little scrap of lace and surprised me with it to celebrate my trip. You looked amazing, but even better without it. We got a little rambunctious that week. I remember we broke at least one condom in the process, but I couldn't help myself around you” 

He punctuated the words with a light brush of his fingers against her breast and one down low between her legs as she squirmed in his hold trying to gain a bit more friction

“I remember you insisted we finish anyway, I was so lost in your body without anything between us. It was maddening feeling, so velvety and warm. I thought we would be fine using the spermicide too, but I got to admit, I thought about it then. I wanted to give you the family you deserved, to fill you with my child. I didn’t know I actually did though. When I walked into that diner I saw you as what could have been, my emotions blinded me to what actually was” 

He shoved aside her underwear, pressing one finger into the slick to tease at her entrance, softly stroking back and fourth while his lips found her neck, suckling and nipping as they allowed themselves to feel each other again, lost in memory. 

His tongue slipped out to taste her skin, the responding moan only spurred him on to suck harder, his hands continuing to explore, dragging just his finger tips down her breast before pressing one finger inside of her, his thumb stroking her entrance, bucking his hips into her as her breath became erratic. Tilting her head to the side, she tried to keep calm as her senses heightened, every stroke sending a jolt of pleasure through her entire body leaving her electrified 

Ben slowed his movements suddenly, sliding his hand from her underwear and back up towards her belly, placing one lingering kiss to her hair 

Rey all but whined at the loss of contact of his body against her

Without a word he spun her to face him, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss before pulling back, taking in her slightly ravished appearance. His shirt had been pushed up, breasts were peeking out, her hair had become lightly tangled and a red mark had appeared on her neck 

She licked her lips before sliding her hand up his thigh and cupping his hard, proportionate length. His eyes closed as he groaned, a deep rumbling sound before he pulled her into the bedroom

Rey sat on the edge of the bed, unsure how to proceed. They had been intimate many times in their relationship, but starting again seemed so familiar yet so different. Having a large belly between them limited the options of what they could do 

Allowing herself to take a deep breath, she pushed the doubt out of her mind, remembering the agreement they had made to let things happen naturally. It was only natural that they explore a physical relationship again

Ben knelt down between her legs, pressing his face to her belly while his hands roamed from her knees to her backside, squeezing gently

“I always imagined how beautiful you would be pregnant, but my imagination never came close to doing you justice” 

His lips softly kissed along her belly before one hand reached up and pressed lightly on her shoulders, urging her to lay back on the soft covers, her hands gripped them lightly in anticipation

“So beautiful” he murmured, pressing kisses along the inside of her thighs before hooking his fingers on her underwear and shimmying them down her legs, dropping unceremoniously to the floor

He licked his lips, then paused, standing up to lean his body over the top of hers, using his arms to cage her in so he did not let his weight lay on her

“Are you okay with this?” He all but whispered, allowing a finger to run from her knees up to her center, lightly teasing as he did in the bathroom

“Yes Ben. I have always been sure with you” her breathy reply was barely audible over her panting breath 

His face lit up as he slid back down to the floor, nuzzling the inside her thigh, his face was slightly prickly from not shaving yet, leaving a slight tingle causing goosbumps to erupt

With a quick swipe of his tongue gliding through her velvety folds, he greedily lapped at her core, dragging the tip of his tongue up to the bundle of nerves he knew would make her scream. A small yelp of surprise that quickly morphed into a breathy mewl as he suckled sent the blood rushing straight to his groin 

**Ring** 

A loud bell rang throughout the house, Rey’s head shot up off the bed, a fleeting feeling she had been caught doing something wrong

Ben gripped her thighs, a quick murmur before resuming his exploration 

“They can go away. It's still early. Just ignore it” He seemed to double down, flicking his tongue and dipping deep inside of her, dragging his teeth lightly, as though he could drown out reality in the throes of pleasure

**Ring** ** Ring** 

The bell continued to ring, Rey pushed herself up as Ben sat back on his heels, wiping his mouth and shook his head

“The universe has something against us” his dark chuckle seemed to vibrate in room before the bell rang out once more

“I’ll go see who is there, you get in the shower and cool off a little” Rey laughed as he stood and practically tackled her in a tight hug before heading to the bathroom. The noise of the shower started up immediately 

Slipping her underwear and pants on quickly, Rey patted her hair down and quickly adjusted her clothing before making her way down the stairs. It had to be someone who knew how to get in the gate, so there was no point to avoiding it much longer

The bell rang again as she swung open the door, gasping as she met the gentle aged face of the woman she had long considered family

Leia’s eyes became wide, obviously staring at Rey’s prominent stomach. Few things could render the Senator mute, but this seemed to completely stop all thought process

For a few moments, Leia just stared before he hand came up over her mouth while fat tears rolled down her face

Rey stepped forward, holding her arms out for the woman in an awkward bent hug, trying to avoid knocking her from the front step with the baby between them. The warmth in her embrace was palpable 

“Come inside, it’s freezing out here” Rey reluctantly stepped backwards, holding the door open and making room to scoot inside and click the door shut

Leia removed her scarf, gloves and jacket, hanging them on the hook behind the door and slipping her boots off and tucking them on the drying rack Rey had not noticed  
She walked quietly to the couch, wiping her eyes and sniffling quietly. Choosing to sit on the edge of the soft seat, she seemed to mull over things in her mind, opening her mouth to speak and then shutting it once more. 

Rey seated herself on the corner of the long sectional, choosing the space she had taken previously with Ben

“Uhh, Ben is upstairs taking a shower. Do you want me to go tell him you are here?” Rey gestured towards the stairs 

“Oh no, you don’t need to be going up and down the stairs in your state sweetie, he can come down once he’s done” She reached over the seat between them and slipped her hand inside of her own, squeezing tightly 

Ben had some sense of timing, coming down the stairs in his pajama pants hanging loose and a form fitting T shirt, his feet clad in warm socks after having to take such a cold shower. His eyes widened a little as he took in the sight of his mother holding Rey’s hands tightly, her face was unreadable as she glanced up at him 

“Hey Mom, I didn’t think you’d be here this morning without setting up a time. Especially so early” He groaned “You always told me a growing boy needs his sleep” 

He plopped down on the seat across from the two, not wanting to give away anything quite yet until he knew what Rey wanted to say or reveal

“Alright boy, you aren’t growing anymore. At least I hope not, or you won’t fit through the door soon!” Leia made a swatting motion towards him before turning her attention back to Rey

“As much as I have missed you Rey, I have to say this is a surprise. Maz told me some “stuff” had changed in Ben’s life and I should come over and get the details myself. Then Ben told me you were back, I thought that was going to be the end of the surprises” 

Rey took a deep breath before setting her hands on her belly, her eyes glued to the spot where her fingers lay just inches above where her child was sleeping inside of her

“I know this is messed up, but to make a very long story short Snoke tricked us both into thinking we had left each other. He got a moving company to throw my stuff out and told Ben I left, I had a note pinned to my clothes on the sidewalk supposedly from Ben telling me to get out” she took a quick breath before resuming her story

“Everything was taken from me, I got fired from my job, my bank account was cleared out, and my phone shut off. I had no way of getting in to contact with anyone and I thought Ben and by extension all of you” she gestured at Leia “had decided that I wasn’t good enough to be part of the family anymore” Tears started to roll down her face once more, those pesky hormones getting the better of her 

A tissue floated onto her belly, Ben quickly seating himself once more across from the two women and motioning for her to continue after a quick wink

“Oh honey, we could never do that to you!” Leia scooted closer, holding Rey once more against her shoulder and embracing her as best she could 

“When Ben told me you ran off with someone else, I TOLD him that it made no sense. You were madly in love. There was no fooling me” Leia chuckled and pointed at Ben “This means a LIFETIME of I told you so!” 

Ben genuinely laughed, his head thrown back, his crooked smile that could charm anyone 

“Alright Mom, yes. You can tell me that every day for the rest of my life. You were right.” His voice became serious “I deserve every bit of it. I should have looked for her, I should have scoured the city” 

Rey shook her head, trying to calm her emotions and smile through it. This conversation had been inevitable, but it was a surprise to have come up so soon 

“None of this was on us Ben. We were separated, tricked . . . but you found me again and we worked through it” She smiled at him, not noticing the look Leia was giving him

“But before you ask Leia, I’m 7 months pregnant and yes, it’s Ben’s, no we don’t know the gender yet. We didn’t know when we got separated that I was already pregnant. We’ve also decided to get back together, but we are taking it day by day. It’s an awkward situation I know, it must seem rushed to everyone, but we have no reason to stay away from each other” Ben slipped into the chair next to her, his hand reaching for her belly, soothing circles on her skin. 

Leia looked as though she might combust

“When you, well when we heard you had left, I thought my only chance of being a Grandmother left with you. That boy would never find anyone he loved like you” her voice cracked, turning her face away from the pair, choosing to focus on the Christmas tree sitting still as it’s timer had gone off for the day time. The ornaments were impersonal, round globes and sparkling bobbles 

All at once, Leia turned back to the couple, lost in their own little world for a moment, and exclaimed 

“Please let me take you shopping Rey! I had told Ben you need a girls day out. Just the two of us, and that was before my grandchild was involved. After all, I remember being pregnant. Your feet ache, your back hurts, and time for yourself goes away. You need some pampering and I won’t take no for an answer” 

Ben and Rey exchanged a quick glance before giving an answer

“That’s up to Rey, are you feeling up to going out now or maybe later?” His voice waved a little, unsure of how to deal with letting her out of his sight after having her back 

“Sure, I’ll go. Just let me get changed and get my hair brushed out and then we can go if that works for you?” She gestured to Leia “Do you want to watch a show or I can bring you down a book? I’m a little slow to get ready these days” 

“Oh no honey, don’t you worry. I have to make a call and I think I have an idea about where to go first. You just go get yourself ready and I’ll be waiting here for you” She turned to Ben and pointed a finger at him “Don’t you worry about anything. I’ll take good care of her” 

Ben smiled and reached forward to embrace his mother, whispering in her ear while Rey made her way to the bedroom to get dressed 

Rey turned back once she reached the top of the stairs, watching mother and son carry on a quiet conversation. She turned away, leaving them some privacy. It was easy enough to get ready, her jeans with the rubber band closure were there along with Ben’s shirt he had lent her. At least it covered her stomach and his taste in clothing was mostly designer these days, so the quality was better than anything she owned. The too small bra was harder to get on without help, but she managed. 

Her hair was down and a bit tangled, but it was easy to quickly brush through. The hickie on her neck was easily covered by her hair and the neck of his shirt. Her cheeks burned at the memory of what they had been doing before Leia decided to drop by 

Sitting on the bed, she took a deep breath, rubbing her belly and sighing “Come on baby. Time for you to meet Grandma” the answering flutter in her belly made her smile 

A knock on the bedroom door brought her from her thoughts. Ben peeked through the door before slipping inside 

“Hey you, I wanted to be sure you got something to eat before you go” he set a plate down on the bed with a piece of toast, a slice of cheese along with a cold bottle of water from the fridge 

She could never grow tired of his caring for her, his eagerness to please, as though they had never been apart 

“I gave Mom a run down on some of what happened, I didn’t want her to bring up anything that might upset you. I hope that’s okay” 

“It’s okay Ben, I’m done hiding” 

“I also insisted I pay for the outing, though she refused. However, take this with you so you don’t have to feel you need to ask if you want something specific okay? What’s mine is yours, and I don’t want you feeling bad about any of it. There is no shortage of funds and I just want you to enjoy today”

He slipped a wad of bills into her pocket and patted it down, grabbing her hands to keep them from trying to give any of it back, instead leaning in to kiss her soundly. His tongue darting out to glide along her bottom lip, earning a small groan in return

“Now you go have some fun, get yourself spoiled and pampered and when you get home, I will satisfy any other need you may have” he stood up and held out his hands to help her up, encouraging her to eat the toast before coming back down the stairs with her

Leia had been tapping away on her phone, sending off an email or text. She glanced up and smiled widely before making her way to the front door to layer herself back into her winter gear. She looked elegant and put together as always

Rey reached for her ratty coat, the side seam had burst again but the duct tape was holding okay

Leia watched intently, but held her tongue after what Ben had explained 

He knelt on the floor, helping Rey into her shoes and giving her one of his scarves to wrap around her neck. He insisted on walking them to the car, tucking her into the cushioned back seat of the large SUV, nodding to Roger or R2 as his mother had affectionately dubbed him, being the second Roger that worked in her personal staff. He planted one last kiss on her lips before shutting the door 

Watching them drive away filled him with a hollow feeling

Making up his mind, Ben made his way back inside and made a plan for the day, pulling out his phone and making a call 

Rey watched out the window of the SUV, unsure of what to bring up with Leia at the moment. It was a lot to take in and she wanted to give her time to process it all

The vehicle pulled smoothly into a parking lot after about ten minutes, pulling up to the front of the curb, the driver hopping out to open the door and situate both women before waving a farewell before driving off again. 

“I have a loose plan for the day, but do let me know if you are hungry or want to take a rest, okay?” Leia patted her shoulder before walking ahead into the Takodana mall. Locals knew it was one of the more high end places, but it had something for everyone as well

Rey stepped through the front door, immediately assaulted with the rush of smells that came with the local food court. There were mouth watering smells, and a few that made her want to gag, but over all something pleasant and familiar 

Leia’s shoes clacked as she walked, her steady confident walk was just as Rey remembered. That woman exuded confidence and poise  
She led Rey into a maternity store, waltzing right up to the counter and having a quiet chat with the employee who couldn’t have been much over 18

The pair made their way back to Rey, the woman taking in her appearance. She nodded and without a word walked around the store collecting various items as Leia ushered Rey over to the dressing rooms

“Rey, you are in serious need of a new wardrobe. I’m treating. No arguments. I asked the woman to pick out practical items that will work for nursing as well, if you choose to go that route, but we need to get you in clothing that fits and flatters you. I can’t let you go around in Ben’s shirts all the time or in that coat” 

Rey simply nodded, trying hard not to cry. She had missed having a mother figure in her life, albeit bossy at times, she always had her best interest at heart

“Alright ma’am, I think I got a good selection to start. There are bras in there, some pajamas, pants, shirts and a few other items that you asked for. Let me get this inside the room. I’m happy to bring you different sizes or trade out anything you don’t like” 

The store had been blessedly quiet, only a few women wandered in with different sized bellies or the occasional infant 

Rey couldn’t help but stare a little, seeing a tiny baby and wondering what her little one would look like. Would it be a little boy with Ben’s ears? Or a girl with his dark mop of hair? 

“Rey, would you like any help? The attendant said they fit women for bras, it’s nothing they don’t see all the time”

She thought a moment, but decided it would be better if she just tried on items herself. The woman seemed to have guessed her size correctly, most items were very stretchy and left plenty of room for more growth. 

Leia sat on the padded cushion right outside the room, asking to see each piece as it was tried on. 

An hour later they had settled on two pairs of jeans with the full tummy panel that stretched all the way up over her belly, allowing her to avoid anything tight like the rubber band had been. A stack of shirts were also picked out, three nursing bras, a sleep bra, two pairs of pajama pants, and a handful of long undershirt tanks that would allow belly coverage when needed. There was also a beautiful pea coat and a pair of memory foam insole slip on booties that would be easy enough to get on without needing to bend over. Leia had also added a few packages of special socks to help with fatigue, a pair or fluffy warm socks, and even a pair of cushioned slippers. Leia walked to the register pointing out a few other items to throw in the pile while Rey looked at a body pillow 

They made their way to the register, Rey tried to grab for the money Ben had slipped her, but Leia waved it away immediately

“I told you I’m buying. No buts about it. Pick what you want to wear out of here, leave the tags with me and change into it while I pay” 

Rey grabbed a pair of the jeans with the panel, a black shirt that tied around the back and accentuated her chest and her belly, and wore the nursing bra that fit so comfortably, along with the boots and a pair of the socks. She walked out of the dressing room just as Leia was handed the receipt and a lot more bags than would be expected with the amount of clothing they chose. As she walked over, Leia grabbed her old clothes from her, tucking Ben's shirt and her jeans in the bag, handing the coat to the woman at the counter and discreetly asking her to get rid of it. 

“I’ve already called R2, he will be in here any moment to get these and take them to the car” She tucked the receipt in her pocket “R2 will bring your new coat back to you when he picks us up. I don’t want you having to lug it all over the place” She nodded to the man as he walked in, collecting up the purchases as Leia ushered her out the door before she could object 

“Thank you so much. It’s amazing how much better this feels. My belly isn’t hanging out my shirt bottom and it’s not tight around the top of my pants” She allowed herself to just enjoy the moment, knowing that fretting over the cost would get her nowhere. She had to admit, just having clothing that fit made a big difference her own confidence. It had been so long that she had to pull and tug small clothing over a large belly, being covered was a relief

Leia just smiled before pointing in the direction she wanted to go

“You are going to be seen in public with Ben sooner than later, you will need to look the part. It’s as practical as it is fun” Shrugging she navigated them past the maze of stores and groups of people doing their Christmas shopping, gazing at the lights strung along the tall ceiling 

She stopped in front of a designer boutique, Rey reluctantly following with a queasy feeling in her stomach. Even dressed in new maternity ware, she certainly didn't fit in this type of store

“First thing is you need a purse. You will also need a diaper bag, preferably matching and of course designer. We can’t have people out there spreading rumors about you” 

Rey halted, grabbing the smaller woman’s arm before she could get through the door 

“How will people react to me do you think? Will I be seen as some gold digging whore who got knocked up on purpose to steal Ben’s money? They have to know none of this was planned” she couldn’t help but panic a little at the thought. She wasn't one to care about what other people thought, but if she was treated so poorly before, what would people do if they thought these things

“I already have my personal PR company working on the narrative. Don’t you stress about that. Let’s just get you looking the part before anyone snaps any paparazzi photos of you and Ben” 

Rey realized how much of this was a move on Leia’s part, setting the story and the pampering was a good way to cover that. It almost hurt a little, but her practical side won out, realizing that people were going to pick her apart as soon as she stepped out into public as the mother of Ben’s child. The heir to his family’s empire, Grandchild of the Senator Leia Organa-Solo

Leia had already wandered inside, picking out a few sets of purses and diaper bags for Rey to choose out of. The sales woman seemed to smell money and was busy chattering away about the superiority of the brand over a typical store bought bag, diving into her well rehearsed speech as they disappeared around the corner further into the store 

Rey felt out of place, even when she had been with Ben before, they both had worked and were doing fine financially, but she still tried to be frugal. Her stuff had been nice, but not designer. Leia had always been the one to wear the fancy clothes, carry a designer bag and it seemed she was very excited to get an excuse to do the same for her

Looking around her, she watched a few women browsing the store. Some looked right at home, their expensive clothes and well kept hair, jewelry sparkling in the bright fluorescent lights. Others looked lost in the store, looking at the bags but leaving quickly after checking price tags. She wondered how she looked to the others around her. Was she as out of place as she felt?  
As though summoned by the thought, a thin blonde sales woman seemed to sneak up out of nowhere

“Can I help you with something ma’am? You look lost” 

“I’m here with someone” Rey nodded in the general direction Leia had disappeared to and stuck her hands in her pockets, pressing the cash further down to avoid it falling out. Maybe a purse was a good plan so no one decided to take what was surely a large sum from her pocket. The woman seemed unconvinced as she glanced at the empty space in front of her as Rey fidgeted nervously under the woman's pointed stare

“Are you buying or just looking? We like to try to keep traffic flowing. I can point you in the direction of the food court if you want” The woman looked down her nose and suddenly Rey felt she was being judged or maybe accused. She was in all new clothing from the maternity store, had she missed a tag? Maybe her lack of make up or hair style was a giveaway to this woman. It almost made her want to pull out the cash from her pocket to prove she could be in here, but that would get her nowhere good. 

The woman stepped closer, pointing out the door 

“If you aren’t in the market items within our price range, I suggest you leave before I have security help you on your way. We are a business, not a charity and certainly not a place to loiter, or are you planning on taking one of these while no one is watching you? I can see you aren't carrying a bag, maybe you wanted to pick one up and pretend you came in with it? Hmm?” The woman turned her head to the side, as though weighing her options before stepping back and pulling a cell phone from her pocket. 

At that moment, Leia chose to come waltzing back with a beautiful baby blue leather purse and matching diaper bag, one in each hand “Rey, do you want to go with gender neutral or does color matter to you much?” She halted as though she had hit a wall 

“Excuse me, is there a problem ma’am?” Leia’s eyes narrowed at the woman holding out her phone, her threatening posture and Rey’s panicked expression

“Are you Senator Organa?” The woman stepped back, tucking her phone quickly back into her pocket and holding out her hand 

Leia stared at her hand a moment, waiting for it to slowly go back down to her side. Intimidation was not something she took lightly 

“That’s Senator Organa-Solo ma’am, but I will ask once more. Is there a problem with me or my FAMILY?” She moved to stand between Rey and the associate, her short stature compared to the blonde meant nothing in terms of intimidation. Leia was small but fierce and was known to get into heated debate over what she was passionate about 

The sales woman smiled a sickly sweet, but obviously fake, smile and made a motion between a bow and a curtsy, wobbling as she fumbled around to fix the situation 

“I was just asking your, umm, FRIEND here if she wanted help picking out a purse to go with her lovely eyes of course” Rey stepped around Leia, straightening her posture and taking a deep breath

“More like accusing me of planning to steal a purse. Or pointing me to the food court” Rey rolled her eyes

“If you haven’t noticed lady, I’m pregnant not stupid. I may not be dripping in pearls like some of your other customers, but looks aren’t everything. And didn’t you hear? I’m not a friend, I’m family.” Her words tumbled out a bit harsher than she meant them to be 

Leia smiled at Rey before turning back to the associate

“We won’t be needing these anymore. I’ll take my business elsewhere, honey” Leia smiled at the woman, handing back thousands of dollars in merchandise 

“You’ll be hearing from me very soon.” she winked at the stunned saleswoman and ushered Rey out the door

Stopping at the exit, she pulled her into a tight hug “You did good sweetie. Standing up for yourself is important, and things are only about to get worse. You will be treated unfairly at times being by Ben’s side. Tabloids and celebrity gossip rags will be all over you about every little thing you do, what you wear and anything you say. People are quick to judge, but you handled that beautifully. We have a few more stops to make, your clothes look lovely but we need to do a little more to help you fit in with the types of people like that. There will be plenty more where they come from and I don't want you having to deal with that”

The rest of the trip went by with relative ease. A couple of quick bathroom trips and they wandered around, pointing out pretty Christmas décor. They stopped in a few other boutiques they were able to find a suitable purse, a wallet, diaper bag and a changing pad, everything in a matching light grey and white pattern. They wandered into a high end department store, Leia stopping at the make up counter and asking the woman to give a demonstration of the products they recommended on Rey. 

“Just the natural look is fine. She doesn’t need much” the woman applied some gloss as a finishing touch and handed Rey the mirror

Gone were the dark circles under her eyes that had appeared early in pregnancy and lingered, her face had been lightly covered and powdered but her freckles still showed through. Some mascara and a light wisp of eye shadow had also been applied. While it was not a large amount, it gave Rey a glowing and fresh faced look. The natural tones complimented her complexion perfectly 

Leia gestured for the woman to ring up a few of each product and tapped out another message to R2, having him retrieve the bags they had collected along the way

It was about noon when Rey's stomach growled audibly, earning a chuckle in response

“Do you want to call it a day? I think we did enough damage and the baby has decided that I need to eat. I’m sure Ben wouldn’t mind some company for lunch”

“Don’t be silly, it was about time for a lunch break anyway, but I’m taking you out. It has been all too long since someone had lunch out with me for personal reasons instead of business. Then I have a few more things planned. Ben will be fine at home for the day” 

R2 met them at the front entrance, hopping out and bringing Rey her new Peacoat that covered her belly entirely. It was flowing and cut in a flattering way, hiding most of her bump 

It was almost strange to feel so warm and well dressed again. Gone were the ill fitting clothes and strange looks from passerby's. If only Maz could see her now. Maybe Ben would like to eat at the diner before his time off work was over 

The SUV rolled to a stop at a tiny establishment that had been dolled up in Christmas lights and all manner of expensive looking decorations

“I'll let you know when we are about done so you can return R2 if you please, go grab something to eat for yourself and we will see you then” Leia called behind her, the tall man bowed before climbing back in and leaving. 

The two women sat together in companionable silence as they browsed through the menu. 

"The chicken is very good if you are in the mood, I know it was your favorite" Leia offhandedly mentioned, before pausing "Also please order anything you want. I know how much you need to grow a baby and you could definitely use the extra calories" 

Rey laughed, going back to the menu. It all looked so delicious it was going to be hard to choose

Back at home, Ben sat on the couch across from a slender dark haired woman, one leg crossed as she bounced her stiletto up and down in a nervous fashion, the red bottom of it flashing. Her dress shimmied up with her movement, an almost indecent amount of leg showing all the way up to her lacy thong. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed her long hair over her shoulder, leaning forward to grasp Ben's hands with her perfectly manicured ones. She licked her plush lips, and in her sweetest voice all but purred

“Well, now that the girls have gone out for the day, shall we get started?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't fret, good things are coming I promise. Any guesses on what Ben is up to?  
Also please excuse any mistakes. No beta


	5. One sided love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing will deter Bazine from causing trouble in Ben and Rey's relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is mention of unwanted sexual advances, if this bothers anyone please skip this chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful comments and kudos. I never thought even one person would be willing to hang in there with me, it's spurred me into writing when I have spare time

Ben stood up quickly, backing himself behind the couch and pointing the way towards the upstairs bedrooms. “You know the way” he calmly stated

The Leggy woman stood up slowly, allowing her dress to slide back down her legs and flounced ahead of Ben while shaking her body more than necessary as she walked up the stairs. He kept his eyes glued to the floor as he walked, making sure not to climb too quickly with her walking as slow as she was 

She halted in front of his bedroom door, hand on the knob

“In here?” 

“No. In the room next door” He growled, growing annoyed 

She huffed, turning on her heel and slinking past him and into the spare room

“Ah yes, the guest room” she smiled deviously “How appropriate since I am your guest” 

Ben rolled his eyes “You are hardly a guest Bazine” 

“Ben, you’re so mean to me” she pouted, her bottom lip jutting forward as she leaned over, pressing her breasts together and pulling on her top in an attempt to entice him

“Bazine, we’ve been over this. I’m paying you to do a job. There is nothing else beyond that. Now could you please be professional for five minutes or should I hire someone else?” 

She glared at him, standing back to her full height and stomping one foot like an impudent child 

“Fine. You don’t know what you are missing out on anyway. You know I love you” She turned back around taking in the room

"Bazine, that's not love"

“You haven’t changed anything since I’ve been here last. What is it you needed so badly? I heard you have your girlfriend back, get her to do your redecorating” The change in her demeanor was instant, no longer attempting to appeal to him, but instead seething with anger

“Bazine, I want you to design a perfect nursery” Ben smiled to himself while looking around the room, trying to imagine how things would need to be changed. He had taken apart the bed frame and moved out some of the boxes that had been stored in the corner

Her eyes went wide in shock, turning back around to stare at him 

“You disappear from the office just a few days ago and now I’m planning for a future family? Wow Ben, way to jump the gun on that one” She rolled her eyes again “You know we could have had something beautiful if you just let me” 

Ben would need to thank Phasma for being discreet later. She obviously had not told anyone about the baby

“Bazine, I have told you and told you, I have zero interest in you. Please stop acting like this. You did all of my decorating in this house and you told me to call if I ever needed anything else. You know I pay more than other clients. Anyway I thought you loved interior design, you did go to school for it after all” 

“But you never gave me what I really wanted” she licked her lips and stepped close to him, grabbing the front of his shirt 

He stumbled backwards, bumping into the lamp by the door, almost knocking it to the ground. 

“Bazine! Enough! It was bad enough when you thought I was single. I tried to ignore it but you know Rey is living with me again, and yet here you are still pushing me like this” his voice grew louder, though he was careful not to shout or appear aggressive. It was difficult at his size 

He side stepped her, running his hands through his dark hair in frustration

“I can’t keep doing this every time you are here. If you want the job, take it, but you have to respect the boundaries I have set. No more of this” he gestured between them

“Fine” she huffed “But you owe me big time for such short notice"

He smiled politely and nodded “Of course” 

She surveyed the room once more 

“Grey and white will be the theme. That way it will work for whatever gender you end up with. Still don’t know why you would build a nursery before you even marry the girl. Shouldn’t you make a baby first?” Bazine muttered darkly “I could make a pretty baby” 

“Thank you. I would like to have it done sooner than later” 

“Overtime it is” She rolled her eyes again 

“Let me get my guys together, I’ll make some orders and be back tomorrow. Will she be here or no?” She winked 

“I don’t know for sure yet” he paused, deciding if it was better to tell Bazine about the baby or not at this point, her unwelcome advances would cause nothing but trouble, but he knew that she could pull it off quickly enough to hopefully surprise Rey 

“Well, it’s probably a good idea to tell her you’re planning for a family before you scare her off” She winked “or don’t. I mean if she runs maybe you’ll finally see that you have options. Maybe I should talk to her myself” She adjusted her chest, pressing her breasts up again 

Rolling his eyes he backed out of the room 

“Just make it gorgeous. I hired you the first time as a favor to Phasma. She asked me to help you out by giving you some experience under your belt so you could get out of working as a secretary and instead doing something you love. She says you are her best friend after all and I owe Phasma a lot right now, it's the least I can do. Even if I am putting up with a lot more than I would anywhere else. Now you can either decide you want to design a nursery or I can hire someone else, but there is nothing that will happen between us either way” 

“Fine Solo, I’ll keep my hands to myself” she held up her hands in mock surrender “for now” Her wink almost made him sick. She had hit on him for months, practically throwing herself at his feet every chance she had, but he had rejected her advances every single time, making sure he left no room for her to claim he led her on. He wasn't sure how he could be much more clear about it right now, but would deal with it as he could to get Rey the perfect nursery

Ben backed out of the room, leaving her to make notes and make calls to order items she needed

“What’s the budget Ben?” She hollered as he went back down the stairs

“Just make it the best, the budget doesn’t matter” 

After a delicious lunch, complete with leftovers tucked away in a small cooler bag R2 kept in the SUV for his lunches, more than happy to share the space to let Rey take home some extra food, the girls day ended in a hair cut and massage. 

Rey had opted to go with a shorter cut in order to make it easier to deal with once the baby was here. Her dark waves no longer hung past her shoulders, but now sat just below her ears. It was shorter than she ever had it before, but it would grow back eventually. Her hair grew like crazy since she started on the prenatal vitamins. 

It turned out that getting a prenatal massage was a piece of heaven on earth. Her muscles had ached deeply, her feet and back especially. The massage therapist had used some sort of oil that caused her skin to feel so smooth and soft as well 

Now it was just past 5 pm, the girls day really had spanned the entire day. Leia had been called into a last minute emergency meeting, leaving R2 to drop Rey off at home. The SUV rolled into the driveway 

R2 opened her door, helping her down out of the vehicle before coming back for the large amount of bags they had brought home. She helped where she could, but he only allowed her to carry a couple of light weight bags while she toddled along the freshly salted walk up to the front door. 

Though she now lived here, it was strange to ring the bell and wait for Ben to arrive. The Christmas lights had all been turned on and the tree was turning lazily in the window. R2 finished bringing up the bags as she rang the bell once more, hoping that he hadn’t decided to go somewhere for the day. With no cell, she had no way of contacting him, nor his phone number for that matter 

There was a shouted curse before a door slammed somewhere in the house before his heavy footsteps thumped down the stairs. The front door flew open and she was immediately enveloped in a tight hug, a chuckle escaping her lips as he nuzzled into her neck, breathing in her scent 

R2 cleared his throat, holding up the bags for Ben to see, before the couple disentangled themselves, moving aside to allow him to come through the door with the purchases

Ben laughed and shook his head “I wondered why it took so long. Did you enjoy yourself sweetheart?” 

He took in her appearance, glancing up and down her body, reaching out to touch her hair and drag his fingers from her ear down to her chin 

“You look gorgeous no matter what, but I do like this new look. Did you pick it out?” 

Rey nodded, blushing at the attention he was giving her 

“I wanted it short so it would be easy once the baby arrives. Leia insisted on some make up and all sorts of things like designer bags because we would be seen out in public. She said she has her PR company working on the story for the media, but my image would need to be up to snuff next to you” she laughed, but Ben looked very seriously at her 

“You look just fine no matter what sweetheart, don’t let her make you feel like you need to change yourself” 

“You Mr. are a gorgeous man, I should at least try and look decent” 

“I’ll show you looking decent, in nothing at all my love” he kissed her neck, working his way down to her shoulder 

The front door shut harder than maybe was necessary, apparently R2 had finished bringing in the purchases and had decided to leave the two in privacy

They burst out laughing, Rey grabbing her side and holding on to Ben for support. When they had calmed themselves, she wiped a tear from her eye before slipping off her coat and hanging it on the hook behind the door 

“So do you want to show me what you ended up with?” Ben guided Rey towards the couch, propping her feet up and taking off her shoes for her, rubbing her socked feet for a few minutes before bringing the various bags and propping them on the couch next to her 

They spent a while going through the bags, Rey held up various clothing and explaining what had happened at the mall. His face darkened when she recounted the incident with the boutique, but smiled when she explained how she handled it. She was strong, but it 

She reached into a bag to show him the purchase and pulled out a rather skimpy piece of lace that had a large slit up the center, meant to hold a pregnant belly. She hadn’t picked this out. Laughing she held it up 

“I think Leia bought you a present too” before dropping it in her lap and continuing on

Ben scooped up all of the clothing to take to the wash while Rey set up her hand bag. Quickly transferring her ID and few cards she had kept tucked in her pocket before grabbing out the cash Ben had left her with and setting it on the couch next to her, intending on giving it to him when he came back

Eyeing a little baby blanket Leia had picked out, she pulled it up across her stomach and hugged it close, thinking of how she would be able to hold the baby in it so soon. It had seemed like it would never come, but now it felt like they had very little time left

Ben walked back in to find her clutching the blanket, smiling softly and gathering up the other items that Leia had insisted on getting her. Rey held up the cash 

“Leia wouldn’t let me pay for anything, she said because it’s her first grandbaby I would be robbing her of the experience, so I didn’t end up needing any” 

Ben reached for her new wallet and tucked the cash inside 

“Then you can use it another time when you want. No arguments” he held out a finger in mock sternness but laughed as he tucked the wallet back into the purse

“Do you want me to rub your feet sweetheart? All of that walking must have been rough on you” He scooted down to the floor, taking one foot in his hands

“Oh, we had a massage. I didn’t know a prenatal massage was a thing? But I feel so much better. I swear my whole body was jelly when we left”

He let go of her foot, running his hands up her legs instead, coming to a stop in front of her belly. His lips brushed along the shirt, pressing the material up only to encounter the stretchy pants top that covered the area

Ben chuckled a bit before shoving it down to show her bare belly. He left a trail of kisses down her skin earning a breathy chuckle as he reached the base of her stomach, reigniting the fire from that morning

“Hey baby, I hope you behaved for Mommy while you were out. You just keep growing in there big and strong for me okay?” He grinned and kissed her once more, adjusting her clothing and holding out his hands to help her up

“Why don’t you go change into something comfortable, my T shirts are in the closet since all of your stuff is in the wash. Then we can have some time to put our feet up and watch a movie before bed

Rey made her way upstairs, passing the door to the guest room she had stayed in just the other night, noticing it was shut tight. That must have been the door slam she heard when she came home, but why Ben was in there she had no idea 

Moving on to his bedroom, or their bedroom, she thought to herself, she gently closed the door behind her. It was more a force of habit than worry about Ben looking at her. She found one of his shirts and decided to forgo any pants in the name of comfort, and possibly a little bit of teasing. The clothing she had on went into his laundry hamper, except the bra so she could check the tag for delicate washing instructions later

She sat for a little while, just looking around the room. Noticing details she had not previously. It was strange to think of Ben living here all alone before she crashed back into his life. That was no way to think right now, it was time to enjoy the evening together after being apart all day 

Rey wandered down the stairs, taking each step slowly as her center of gravity change made it difficult to judge how her balance was, gripping the smooth wooden hand rail. By the time she hit the bottom step, she could hear Ben humming a lullaby to himself, the tune vaguely familiar, as he rocked back and fourth. He had a book laying open on the counter, reading it as he stirred something in a pan on the stove

She stood watching him for a few moments before he spun around to grab something from the fridge and noticed her. His smile grew wide, walking over and planting a kiss on the top of her head 

“Hey there, you hungry?” 

“Always” she giggled to herself “What are you cooking?” She peered into the pan, inhaling the sweet scent of the spices he had added 

“I am whipping up a quick stir fry from some leftovers and some frozen vegis. Does that sound good to you? I can make some of your leftovers from lunch if you would rather?” 

“Stir fry sounds amazing” She sniffed at the pan before her eyes drifted down to the book that was lying open nearby. It was a copy of What to Expect when you’re expecting that Leia must have grabbed.

She picked up the book carefully, noticing that Ben had already dog eared a few chapters while she was upstairs

He set down the butter he had grabbed from the fridge along with the spatula in his hand, resting his head on her before kissing her neck

“I really was clueless, There is so much I need to get caught up on before we get to the really big stuff” 

She smiled, grabbing his hand and turning to face him 

“But now we can get to that together” shutting the book again, she set it back down on the counter, choosing to get out the plates and forks before Ben chased her out of the kitchen and onto the couch 

After a long day out, it was lovely to sit down and prop up her feet, using the remote to browse through his Netflix which was mostly filled with documentaries and a few shows they used to watch together 

She picked out a Planet Earth episode and started it up, knowing he wouldn’t mind missing some of it while he was cooking, 

Dozing a little to the soothing sound of the narrator's voice, Rey was woken by Ben, handing her a heaping plate of food. Her stomach growled in response. It smelled heavenly and tasted perfect, everything she didn’t know she was craving right then, causing her to moan as she continued to eat

“Sweetheart, that’s a noise I could listen to all night” he nudged her a bit, her cheeks growing warm at the implication

She wolfed down the rest of her food, placing the plate on the coffee table before leaning to rest on Ben’s shoulder. The next thing she knew he was gently shaking her leg 

“Rey, it’s late. We should be getting to bed where it’s more comfortable” He whispered 

She had slumped against his side, his arm around her and the small baby blanket laid across her belly

“What time is it?” 

“Just now 10, you’ve been so comfortable I didn’t want to move you” 

She smiled sleepily before standing up to stretch, forgetting what she had dressed herself in. As her hands reached high above her head, the shirt slid up to her middle, giving Ben a view of her underwear and bare legs. Turning back to him, she couldn’t help but notice the hungry look on his face.

“Come on sweetheart, let’s call it a night” He flipped off the tv and lead her up to his room, tucking her into the covers before shutting off the light and curling up with her once more. 

Rey snuck out of bed in the morning for a bathroom break, feeling rested and better than she had in a long time. The massage had limbered her muscles 

Ben was sleeping peacefully, his dark hair splayed over his pillow, one arm stretched out where it had been laid over her belly all night. 

Deciding that she would surprise him, she snuck back into bed, rolling him gently to his back. He stirred, moving one arm across his face and the other still splayed 

She crawled closer to him, tugging the covers down to expose his black boxer briefs, licking her lips in anticipation. One of her small hands traced his member through the material, watching the slight twitch in response. She quickly hooked the edge of his band, exposing him to her. He seemed bigger than she remembered, the soft tip leaking a little as her thumb ran across it

He moaned in his sleep, his hips bucking slightly. 

She leaned forward, careful to move around her belly as best she could and pressed her lips on the head, her tongue darting out to taste him, causing her to moan as her tongue swirled around the tip

Ben groaned once more before his eyes opened, suddenly wide as he took in what was happening 

Rey was sitting on her knees, holding his arousal in her hands, her lips wrapped around the tip with her tongue stroking him. It was all he could do to keep himself from cumming right there at the sight of her

“Wha---” he couldn’t form a coherent thought other than the immense pleasure coursing through his body

She pulled away for a moment, a slight smack of her lips as she did “Shhhh . . . it’s okay Ben. It’s just me” 

She resumed her ministrations, flattening her tongue to lick base to tip and back again before taking him into her mouth once more

His hands reached out, one finding it’s way into her hair while the other gripped the sheets, a deep groan rumbling in his chest 

Ben’s phone began to buzz and ring, loudly, but Rey was determined to ignore any interruptions this time, trying to double down her efforts to bring him to the brink

After a few moments, the noise stopped, going to voicemail instead

Moments later the front door rang throughout the house, once, twice, three times in a row, a pause and another set of insistent ringing. 

Ben slowly lifted himself up from where he was lying, huffing in frustration and gently pressing on her shoulders before she pried herself off

“Sweetheart as much as it physically pains me to say this, I should probably go get the door” 

She laughed, wiping her mouth “You weren’t kidding, the universe has it out for us” before she climbed off the bed, searching for something decent to wear down to the dryer to get her new clothing 

He pulled his underwear back on and grabbed some sweatpants, hoping his shirt was long enough and that no one would be looking hard enough to notice his pants straining to keep him in check 

The doorbell continued to ring repeatedly as he climbed down the stairs, Rey grabbing some clothing out and heading back up the stairs before he opened the door

Bazine was leaning on the frame, her tight red shirt hanging low on her chest, her perfectly manicured nails tapping on wall. 

“Took you long enough Solo” she huffed at him, pushing into the house, dragging one hand across his chest and her hand tracing down across his pants as he jumped back from the door frame as quickly as he could, trying to dodge her fingers

“Looks like you are happy to see me at least” 

“Bazine, I would appreciate it if you could keep your hands to yourself” he ground out between his gritted teeth “Also, please warn me before you show up next time” 

“I did warn you, I called and you didn’t answer” she reached up and adjusted her cleavage before peering up the stairs, noticing the bedroom door was shut 

“Is SHE up there?” one finger pressed into his chest accusingly

“Why wouldn’t she be? She lives here and it’s early. I didn’t expect you this early” 

Bazine snatched her phone from her pocket, pulling up screen shots of various furniture and colors

“I pulled together some ideas before I get to work today. I wanted to run them by you” she held out the phone screen, allowing him to scroll through them 

“These ones, and let’s use the elephant to fit in with the colors” he pointed at one of the photos of a soft looking stuffed animals on the screen “You could have emailed this to me, why did you really come” 

Bazine had started up the stairs, pausing on the step 

“Maybe I wanted to meet this “Rey” for myself, you could have made her up to get rid of me” she glared at him

“Bazine, don’t you have work to get done?” She rolled her eyes

“Fine, but I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m picking up some stuff I knew we needed for the project and I’ll talk to one of my suppliers about what they have in stock so I can get this moving asap. I want you to get all of the furniture out of that room by this afternoon so I can get it done for the most part today” 

She turned back to the door, giving him a once over from head to toe, licking her lips as her eyes lingered below the belt 

This was getting worse than it had been in a long time, Maybe it was time to talk to Phasma again and get her to talk some sense into her friend, though she was buried under work at the moment. He would just have to do his best to handle the situation delicately with Rey involved

He shut the door behind Bazine, harder than necessary, but he could see her stalk down the drive and take off down his drive

Locking the door, he turned and wandered back up the stairs, knocking on the bedroom door before turning the knob. Rey was laying on her side across the bed, browsing through the baby books. She glanced up as the door swung open, smiling brightly at Ben

“Hey sweetheart, what are you doing up here?” he sat down next to her, reaching to touch her belly

“I didn’t know who it was, I didn’t want to get in the middle of things. Figured you needed some time” she opened the book to a new chapter 

“Talk about a buzz kill” he mumbled “No one seems to want us to have any private time around here” 

Rey laughed lightly “Well, we have the rest of the day now” 

“About that” Ben grasped her hand, trying to decide where he could send her for a while 

“I actually need the house for a bit, would it be okay if I sent you out for a while?” he winced, knowing how ridiculous and possibly suspicious that sounded

“Oh….umm…. Okay. Where should I go? I mean I could go work at the diner for a bit if they need someone to pick up a shift?” 

Ben slumped a little knowing he hadn’t thought this through. The last thing he wanted was for her to be working

“I could drop you off somewhere and you can call me to pick you up later?” 

“Ben I don’t have a phone anymore. Or your number” she glanced back down at the book 

“It’s cold out, but with my new coat I could go out and wander through the park near by” 

Ben shook his head 

“I don’t want you to be alone out there”

“I’ve been alone this far” her voice turned dark “it’s not that different” 

He shook his head again “You are not alone” 

“Neither are you” she whispered

“How about I go with you instead?” he scooted closer on the bed 

“I can have the meeting happen while I’m gone, I’ll just take you out somewhere” 

It was Rey’s turn to shake her head “Then what happens while we aren’t here? Your associates could go through the house or take something. I mean they’re probably good people but it’s weird to have coworkers in the house while we are gone”

“How about I go do some grocery shopping? We need some real food around here anyway.” 

“On your own? What if something happens to you?” Ben pulled her closer

“I will be fine. Leia bought me a pepper spray and a taser for my purse. She was worried about me too” 

“Okay, I’ll feel better though if you had someone with you” He kissed her head, stood up and held out his hands to her. She had dressed in the jeans with the belly panel, but the shirt she wore today was a stretchy patterned baby doll top, her cleavage just peeking out from the neckline

“I just have to do a couple things upstairs, would you like to read in the library while I do? I can’t have you in there for your safety, just please don’t worry if you hear a lot of noise”

“Library?” Ben wanted to slap himself, he hadn’t really given her time to wander the house. Other than his bedroom, they had stayed in the kitchen or the living room for the most part. 

“There is a library at the end of the hall downstairs. I keep a couple of comfortable chairs in there for reading or work” He nodded to the hall as they made their way down the stairs

“I’ll let you know before we need to go” he kissed her head, urging her to go before he went back upstairs

Once he closed the door, he took a look in the room wondering where he could hide the furniture until he could get it out of the house. There were multiple bedrooms, the house boasted a whole 7 bedrooms, the library, 4 bathrooms and the laundry room. Three of the bedrooms were upstairs, one had been turned into a home gym for his morning workouts to avoid the gym. Any furniture could be thrown in there and she wouldn’t see it, he reasoned to himself

The room was a good size, but he had kept furnishings to a minimum in here, originally asking Bazine to make it comfortable but not over done. One large window added in the natural light along with the beautiful ceiling instillation for when it got dark

He would need to move the twin sized bed, the frame, a dresser, nightstand, a high back chair, and some lamps including the one he almost knocked over escaping Bazine’s advances. 

The thought made him shudder, Bazine didn’t seem to understand the word No. He knew he could handle it, but having Rey involved made him nervous. Bazine was jealous, but she wouldn’t hurt anyone. She might try to cause trouble though, so maybe it was time to have a chat with Rey about her before she was in the house with her 

He moved the bedding, small items and the mattress rather quickly, then moved onto the furniture. By the time he was done tugging everything into his gym, maneuvering around the equipment, he was beginning to sweat. That was good enough to replace a workout. Moving back to the guest room, he grabbed the last lamp and turned off the light on the now empty room. After seeing what Bazine had planned, he was anxious to get the project done and allow Rey to nest as the baby books had called it

He clicked the door shut to the gym and between the two rooms, there was not a thing she could suspect. Both doors would remain closed unless she decided to go exploring, which seemed unlikely

His phone buzzed and chimed 

Text from Bazine:

ETA 30 minutes. You ready for me? ;)

Ben rolled his eyes, clicking off the screen and shoving the phone back into his pocket as he made his way to the library. On the way down the stairs, he had an idea and darted into the bedroom once more, then back to Rey

Rey was curled up on the chair in the corner, a couple of baby books open and one book of names, her head lolled to the side. She had dozed off, which he now knew was normal. Growing a person was exhausting 

He debated leaving her here, allowing her to sleep through the project, but knew she would end up awake and could spoil the surprise 

He gently rubbed his hand from her shoulder to belly, allowing her to wake to the feel of his hands on her skin

She smiled, standing up and stretching again, holding on to Ben for support

“Time to go sweetheart” he kissed her head and lead her to the front door, helping her get on her boots and coat before loading her into the car, pulling out his beanie to keep himself under the radar for the most part if possible, pulling his scarf up around his chin 

The drive to his favorite store was short, he parked up front in a space and walked Rey into the front door, helping her get a cart sanitized and removed her coat to lay across her purse so no one would take it

“How will I know when to be out here?” Ben pulled a phone from his pocket 

“This is my work phone, I use it for most of my day to day stuff, very few people have my personal number. I have my number saved in this so you can get a hold of me at any time. I’ll have my phone with me, okay? When you mentioned the phone earlier I realized I need to get you one of your own, but that this one would do for now. Just don’t answer the calls unless it’s me. That way if anyone from work needs me, they can leave me a message for later. Texts are fine” he tucked the phone into her purse, grabbing out her wallet as he pulled out his own, pulling out more cash to tuck in hers before putting it back in her purse and covering it with her coat once more

“Get whatever you want, I’ll make it for you. Also grab anything you want for the baby okay? Actually please get a lot for the baby, we have nothing so far. Get lots of diapers and everything else. I want to see a lot of groceries when I come back to get you, okay?” He kissed her once more on the head, then her nose and one last kiss on the lips

“Alright, go have a good meeting. I’ll see you in a while” Rey watched him retreat to the car before turning back and wandering through the store

She made her way to the baby aisle first, almost drawn there. She stood in front of the diapers, taking in all of the brands and packaging, not really sure where to start

A woman with a small child walked up, grabbing a pack of diapers. She must have noticed the look on Rey’s face, her hand on her baby bump and felt sorry for her

“Scuse me, Miss?” 

Rey startled but smiled gently at the woman 

“You look lost. First baby?” She nodded down to her belly and motioned to the infant in her front pack

“This is my third, the other two are at home with daddy” 

She pointed at the diapers

“I prefer these two” she motioned at the red and white packages and then the light blue “but these ones” she motioned to the purple “leak like crazy. You’ll never have a dry night”

She pointed towards the wipes “I like the same brand in wipes as the diapers, you don’t use baby powder or oil, get the purple tube of diaper cream and teething gel should be all natural. In fact go natural or organic where you can if you can afford it for everything"

The woman gave her a reassuring smile before turning “Good luck! You’ll do great” before disappearing out of the aisle

Rey was ready to cry, but instead grabbed a few boxes of diapers in each brand, figuring that the books said that newborns go through a diaper every feeding or more, she knew they should have quite a few on hand. She also grabbed a couple of boxes of wipes in each brand figuring they could decide what they liked later

Pretty soon, her cart was half full of various baby products, the bottom of the cart loaded with diapers and wipes. She hadn’t really shopped for groceries yet, but she felt better knowing that she would have some baby products ready. It was a tangible proof that the baby would be there sooner than later. 

She knew this would make Ben happy too.

Ben pulled into the driveway, smoothly pulling in the car to the garage right past where Bazine’s car sat idling

He hopped out, shutting the garage behind him so he could let her in the front door instead, relishing in the squawk she let out as the door shut in front of her, apparently assuming she would follow him in that way

He opened the front door, giving her a crooked smile of satisfaction as she huffed inside and yanked off her shoes, tossing the bucket of paint and armful of supplies down on the floor with a clatter 

“You have no manners” 

“Bazine, you know you use the front door” he shut the door and motioned to the stairs

“The room is all ready. Are you ready to work?” she had changed into a large T-shirt, tying it to the side with a rubber band in order to leave her mid drift bare and a pair of paint stained jeans with rips all over , apparently on purpose from the look of it

“Let’s do this. The delivery guys will be here in an hour with the furniture so we need to get the room painted and done asap” 

Once they started to work, she lost herself in the work, directing Ben on what to do. The room was done in about 40 minutes, so they drug a couple of fans into the room and opened the door to vent out the smell. It was low odor and safe, but Ben became concerned about Rey being around the fumes or smelling the paint and getting suspicious

As they waited for it to dry, he surveyed the room. They had left a lot of white, one wall being a darker grey with a white stenciled in pattern

Bazine turned her attention on Ben as they waited for the delivery company to arrive 

“So, where is the little wife?” her voice was sickeningly sweet

“She’s not my wife yet, but Rey is out shopping” he sniffed once, running his hand through his hair

“Oh, so you haven’t run off to get married yet? I mean she’s been here a few days and you’re planning a nursery. I figured you’d have already moved right along” 

“What Rey and I do is our own business, let’s just stick to the job” He grabbed a bottle of water to sip on 

“Well, then let’s try this. Why a nursery so suddenly? You trying for kids already? If you’re just trying to produce an heir, I could produce the spare” she licked her lips and started to advance, like a tiger and her prey 

“Bazine, this is a job. Would you believe me if I told you that I have a plan for a family? You keep coming on to me thinking I will jump into bed with you, but I don’t want a fling. I want the stability of a family. Children, Rey as my wife. I’ve loved her for a long time”

“Whatever Solo, when your little “wife” gets fat and stretched out, you’ll see what you really need and that’s an all nighter with me”

“Bazine, if you want to make this a business you need to treat clients appropriately” His hands came to rest on his hips, sighing 

“Did you bring anything else along? Should we go get it before the furniture comes in here?”   
deciding that switching topics might be safer to distract her 

“Yeah, I picked up some bedding, some matching stuffies, room décor, a little lamp, and I gotta say Ben, picking out all of that baby stuff sure got my ovaries fired up” Ben started to back away, trying to keep distance between them 

Ben’s phone buzzed and chimed, a photo coming through from his work phone he left with Rey

The photo was a shopping cart filled up with diapers and baby items. A few onesies and teething mittens lay on top with the caption “Baby crazy” 

He must have been grinning like a loon as he typed out a reply “Pick out whatever you want Love. Get stocked up. You can always ask the front end to hold the cart while you get groceries too so you have plenty of room” 

He didn’t notice Bazine hovering behind him until he went to put it in his pocket and his elbow brushed her hair 

Bazine’s voice was quiet and angry 

“You sure are taking this kid thing seriously. Was that your work phone she has? I recognize the number” Ben didn’t like the way the wheels seemed to be turning in her head 

“That’s not your concern, Bazine, let’s get this nursery set up” He was out at the car in a matter of moments, thankful to get out of the room and away from her

The items she chose were adorable, he took a moment to stare at them, knowing that in just a couple of short months his child would lay on the bedding in his hands

As he loaded the items in the door, the delivery truck pulled up. He set everything inside the front door and waited to greet them

They were good at what they did, all of the furniture was set up within an hour. He tried to keep himself busy “helping” to keep away from Bazine’s wandering hands and unwanted touch

He texted Rey a few times asking if she was okay, checking that she was getting enough of anything she had been craving or any baby items she might want to pick up and reassuring her that he would have spent the money anyway and that she was really doing him a favor. 

After he signed the papers and thanked the delivery men, he walked into the nursery, surveying what Bazine had done. The bedding was assembled on the mattress, small soft stuffed animals sat on top. The changing table now had small baskets for organizing and the dresser held the lamp along with a few framed photos and elephant décor. A large white wooden word “Love” hung above the crib, tying together the room. Bazine was sitting in the padded gliding rocker, closing her eyes and holding her hands over her own belly

“I could get used to this” she mumbled as she rocked 

“Then you should design yourself a room like it in your home” he couldn’t help the harsh sound in his voice. She may be annoying but her work was fantastic 

“I’d need a man for that Solo, you volunteering? We could make one right here right now” she smirked, peeking one eye open as she pulled up her dress to show her lacy thong. Ben’s eyes immediately went to the floor as he turned to leave the room 

“Bazine, it’s not happening. Now I can write you the check now or I can send it to your address” 

“Hang on, I need some photos for my portfolio.” She threw down the edge of her dress and stood up, pulling out her phone 

“This is some of my best work. Maybe you’ll come to your senses before you knock up your GIRLFRIEND and let me add a pretty baby to it too” 

“I need to go pick up Rey and you need to go home” he stepped out of the room, tapping out a quick update that he could come get Rey as soon as she was ready. 

Bazine reluctantly took the check he held out in front of him before making her way out the door. She silently came up with a plan to hopefully rid herself of Rey and the plans for a family that Ben so desperately wanted. Nobody tells Bazine no

By the time Ben pulled up to the store, he was almost shaking with anticipation. Seeing Rey and knowing what kind of surprise he had waiting for her was almost too much

He zipped inside the store, texting to locate Rey who was sitting on one of the display couches and picking through her purchases, apparently deciding between the options

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry that took longer than I thought it would” he held out his arms, scooping her into a gentle hug before kissing the top of her head

“It’s okay. Did you get everything done so we can spend some time together this week?” her voice was calm but hesitant

“All done. Now let’s finish up here and get you home. I hope you got more than this” he gestured to the cart

She laughed, “Baby stuff is bulky. The diapers and wipes took up almost the entire thing, so they are holding it for me at customer service” 

The cart she held onto was full of various items they used to purchase together, his favorite brands and flavors of everything. A lot of fresh fruits and vegetables were on top. He asked her about some basics and decided to swing back through the baby aisle as she recounted the woman who helped direct her towards brands. He grabbed more diapers, wipes and duplicates of many items she already had waiting up front, but he was insistent on having plenty on hand for her. 

“You know, people used to stockpile items to be able to keep from having to run to the store so often. Once the baby is here you might not feel up to it for a while. I’ve been thinking of converting one of the unused rooms downstairs into a stockpile of sorts. I’ve seen people on that coupon show keep whole basements full of items, I don’t know why we couldn’t do the same” He smiled at her “Plus maybe it would help make you feel a little more secure” 

He knew she might find it ridiculous, but instead she grinned “We can do that?!?” 

Leading them to the front he leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear, rumbling out “You can do whatever you like, but since you are currently growing our baby, I want you to direct me and I will do it for you, okay? I like making the house into OUR home” A shiver went down her spine at his proximity 

“Also I have a surprise for you when we get home anyway, so let’s get done here and get home. I’ll make you whatever you want” 

At the check out, he refused to let her pay with the cash he had given her, opting to use his personal card to cover the cost. Looking at the carts full he had a moment to worry about whether it would all fit, but having the back seat and the trunk, he would make it work, even if it was a bit crowded. It was definitely time to start finding a family friendly vehicle, but that was not something she needed to know just yet

By the time they arrived home it was starting to get dark, the sky had turned a soft periwinkle and the snow had started to fall once more. Ben was working on unloading everything into the living room while Rey took some pajamas from the dryer, opting to change in the bathroom off the kitchen to avoid the stairs at the moment

The phone in Rey’s purse dinged with a text message. She picked it up, thinking she had missed one from Ben from earlier. The phone said it was from a Bazine with a photo attached with a text preview that said 

“Thanks for letting me cum over today, I know we made something beautiful. . . ” 

Rey almost dropped the phone in her lap, her fingers trembling as she tried to be rational 

Either it was a wrong number or she couldn’t help but wonder why Ben needed her out of the house so quickly today

She decided to be direct, there couldn’t be anymore secrets between them if they were going to be in a long term relationship, especially with a child in the middle of it all

There was no point in bringing it up unless she knew what she was even asking about. Touching the text bubble the photo popped up

It was a woman, very thin, her breasts on full display in her skimpy outfit. She had one finger on her lips and the message read in full

Text: Bazine

Thanks for letting me cum over today, I know we made something beautiful that will be in my memory for years to come. Kiss kiss Ben 

Rey couldn’t help but go over it again. Had Ben lied to her when he said he was not seeing anyone? Did he know that she wanted to be exclusive? 

She shook her head. No, she had decided to be direct and talk through stuff like this. No jumping to conclusions, though she couldn’t help the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach 

She changed quickly, pulling on her comfortable pajama bottoms and one of the long tank tops with a pair of fuzzy socks. Tucking the phone into the pajama pockets she made her way to the kitchen where Ben was busy preparing one of the roasts she had picked out, putting it in the oven and washing off the dishes he used. They had started to pile up in the sink 

Padding up behind him, she cleared her throat awkwardly 

He flipped around, a huge grin on his face, leaning down to kiss her lips before she turned away at the last second. He looked confused, stepping back “Rey, is everything okay?”

“Can we talk?” She tucked one hand into her pocket, feeling the phone and reminding herself that this was something that needed to be discussed now while her other hand lay across her belly

“Of course sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Concern written on his face” 

“Who is Bazine?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guessed it! Ben is just trying to do his best for Rey, Bazine is a witch who wants to meddle. Things will fluff up soon


	6. Hold me close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben discuss the Bazine situation. Rey get's a few surprises. And of course smut ahead

Ben sighed, placing his hand on her face, looking her in the eye

“I was hoping to keep her away from you. What happened?” his face full of concern, looking over her as though searching for a physical mark 

“I got a text message, or I guess you did on the phone you lent me” She handed the phone over to Ben, watching the surprise on his face as he shook his head

“Oh she is going to be in so much trouble” then a laugh escaped his lips “On the bright side this is the physical proof I finally need to get HR involved. They don’t take harassment very seriously from women to men and I kept getting brushed off, telling me to enjoy the attention. There is one woman in the department that is willing to help, but without anything concrete her hands were tied. Now maybe something can be done” he let out a sigh 

“I had planned on letting you know the entire story before this all happened, I want you to be fully aware and able to keep an eye out for her, but I was stupid to think I could hire her for a job and she actually be respectful”

Rey started to tear up, hoping this was not going to end badly for her, but chose to keep her mouth closed so she could listen to everything he had to say. It was important to communicate and it would do no good for her to flip out or fight 

“Before anything else, I want you to know she helped me pull off a surprise for you. I want you to have it before I explain the rest. Would that be okay? It will help you understand what is going on” He opened his arms to her 

“Just know this. I have only ever loved one woman, you Rey. Even when we were apart I couldn’t bring myself to even look at anyone else. Bazine doesn’t know how to take no for an answer and I think it’s my fault she decided to go after you today with this disgusting attempt at making you upset” 

She stepped into his arms, allowing her head to lean on his chest, tears falling down his shirt

“I believe you Ben, but it would be nice to understand” She wiped her nose and followed him up the stairs

“First, close your eyes” 

He placed his hands over her eyes, instructing her to open the door in front of her. She pushed it as they slowly crept into the room, Ben asking her to keep her eyes closed while he flipped on the light

“And. . . Open them” he whispered

Rey opened her eyes and her hand flew to her mouth, immediately bursting into tears

“How could I have doubted you?” her voice cracked as she sobbed 

Ben gently brought her to the rocking chair, lifting the soft stuffed animals and helping her prop up her feet

She looked around in awe, allowing her emotions to work themselves out 

Ben brought her various items to see and touch, pointing out what he had helped with 

He knelt next to the rocking chair, holding out his hand, recounting what had transpired while she was gone, trying to remember every single detail. By the end of it Rey couldn’t help but scowl 

“Ben, you’re being sexually harassed. That’s unacceptable in any situation, but she works with you?” 

He lowered his head “I thought I could handle it, she’s been ridiculous at times but I thought maybe with you living here now that she would back off. She can see that I’m clearly taken and I’ve explicitly stated this” running his hands through his hair in frustration, a tear ran down his face

“I’m sorry I’ve put you in this kind of position. I never wanted to create doubt, I just thought I could handle this. She is the one that did the rest of the house and I owed Phasma a favor. She’s her best friend and wants her to have a nice portfolio, so I hired her again to try and help her out. It was a huge mistake, will you ever forgive me?” His eyes shined with emotion

Rey reached out and took his face in her hands, gently stroking the dark hair that had started to grow

“None of this is your fault. I know you have a good heart and didn’t mean to put yourself in a situation you didn’t think you could handle. From now on let’s handle that woman together. You shouldn’t have to be harassed or feel uncomfortable either” 

He sniffed, leaning forward and gently kissing her lips, the spark between them quickly growing into an inferno as his hands wandered down her shoulders, across her belly

“I have one more surprise for you love” he pulled away, one last kiss against her lips before he ducked out of the room, leaving her to marvel at the room around her. The soft grey colors and little elephants were perfect. She imagined a dark curly haired child laying in the crib, 

Ben pressed open the door, her picture frame in hand. He had slipped the envelope out from behind and was holding it in his hand 

“Can we do this together” He handed it to her, still sealed 

She nodded, sniffling, before pressing one finger under the edge of the paper and ripping it gently before sliding out a single profile ultrasound photo. At the top it read 

It’s a girl

Rey’s emotions were already running high, but the tears she cried were now happy tears

Ben enveloped her in a warm hug, his own tears mixing with her own as he kissed her hair, murmuring quietly to her 

He slid down to the floor, pressing his face to her belly 

“Baby girl” he paused, trying to keep from losing it “Baby girl, my princess” 

The small thump and movement under her skin was answer enough  
Ben began to sing quietly as he kept his mouth against her skin, trying to remember every lullaby his mother had sang to him 

As he finished Brahms, he pulled his face back. Rey was staring, her face wet with tears 

“You’re going to be a wonderfully daddy” she whispered 

He held out his hand, helping her up 

She slipped the phone into his hand before making her way down the stairs 

“Let someone help you with this Ben” 

He was going to need help, that was for sure

Dinner was uneventful, the roast turned out tender and juicy and they enjoyed time together on the couch before deciding to turn in around 9 pm. 

As they lay in bed, Rey couldn’t help but go over the day’s events, worrying about Ben and his kind heart. It angered her to know how he was being treated. She tossed and turned before finally deciding to get up around 1 a.m. and sit in the babies room

Ben had taken all of the bags from the store that had baby items and placed them on the floor before bed 

That was a good place to start

She spent an hour just placing lotions in baskets, unpacking diapers into the organizers, and placing items like diaper creams and wipes on the changing table next to the cushion where the baby would be changed

The door opened behind her as she was packing the binkis into a small drawer 

Ben knocked gently on the door frame he was leaning on, trying to get her attention so as not to scare her 

She startled anyway, Ben chuckling as he came over to her, his arms held out in front of him. Melting into his embrace she whispered “Look, I nested” before laughing to herself

“Sweetheart, you being happy in here is all I wanted, but aren’t you tired?” 

“I couldn’t sleep” she admitted

“How about I help with that?” his hands roamed down over her belly, running his hands down to the waistband of her pajama pants before his fingers dipped inside, running his finger between her legs against her now soaking underwear 

She squirmed in his grasp, so wound up from the morning that she found herself grinding against his palm, sighing at the delicious friction building 

He stopped suddenly, tugging her out of the room and back into their bedroom, clicking the door shut and guiding her to the edge of the bed 

“There is no one to interrupt us now sweetheart” he growled pressing her back into the mattress

She watched intently as his hands slowly slid over her breasts and around her sensitive nipples, taking extra care to caress them gently, soothing circles gently around them while they hardened. He knelt next to her, running his tongue down until he reached where his hands had been caressing and pressed his tongue against her instead, her eyes closed as her hands clutched the sheets next to her 

Suckling each breast one at a time, he gently kneaded the other with strong capable hands, causing her to squirm, her legs rubbing together, trying to focus on his attention without rushing

He moved down further, hands sliding down her hips and thighs, his tongue following a lazy path down before stopping at her waistband. Gently pulling her underwear down, he slid his hands back up her thighs and brushed the soft curls between her legs with one finger. Her swollen glistening bud just begging for attention

“I missed this a lot more than I care to admit” he murmured while stroking her lightly, thrusting one finger into the slick channel before slowly sliding it out 

“ Ben. . . ” she breathed 

“What do you want sweetheart?” He leaned forward, nose bumping against her center, his hot breath across wet folds sending a chill up her spine

“You. I’ve always wanted you “ a sharp inhale interrupted her as he dragged his tongue upward in one lazy swipe, pulling away to lick his lips, savoring the flavor

“I have been thinking about this all day long” his voice rumbled against her core, tingling “I wanted you so badly” 

Her hands gripped the sheets harder, balling them in her fists as his torment continued, waiting a handful of breaths before he licked again, drawing out the pleasure 

One more long stroke of his tongue, held flat against her most sensitive flesh and her body writhing. This kind of torture was just too much. She squirmed, trying desperately to chase her release. One large hand pressed to her side to hold her in place while he tasted, seeming to drink her in languidly, his tongue swirled before his teeth grazed her, switching from sucking to lapping 

“I promised I would take care of your every need, my love. Would you allow me to?” she could almost feel his smirk against her skin as he nipped and licked at her sensitive flesh. One hand now pressed under her backside to squeeze and knead. Her hands let go of the sheets and instead grasped at his hair before she had to let go, her belly was too hard to reach around for long

“Yes Ben, Please. Please, I want to feel you. Just you”

She sighed, gripping the sheets once more 

“As you wish, my love” He plunged his tongue deep inside, circling gently, dragging it slowly back to the most sensitive spot, causing a symphony of sounds, her breath coming quickly as he changed from slow torture to quickly winding her up, plunging in over and over, his tongue flicking and dragging her inner walls

“Oh yes! Right there” her voice was breathy, gasping between words as his tongue continued to 

He moved one hand to her center, sliding one finger and then two inside, thrusting lightly in and out as he suckled, grazing his teeth gently at her core 

She could feel the pleasure building, a tight coil inside of her ready to snap. As she grew close she couldn’t help the pants and lewd noises from coming out, her body far more sensitive than ever 

“There is no one to hear us love” His tongue circled the bundle of nerves as his fingers pressed in quicker. 

He set a brutal pace, gliding his thick fingers inside of her while lapping at her, the muscles began to grip and tighten as her body shook. One final thrust and she cried out a breathy moan, muscles clenching and twitching around his fingers. Stilling his movements, he stood up, wiping his mouth with a smirk 

“That’s the sound I want to hear” he kissed her belly before climbing up onto the bed, stroking her breast

“ I want to feel you inside of me” she gazed up at him, Doe eyes full of lust 

“Rest tonight, I wanted to give you pleasure without any interruptions” 

“Ben, please. I want you to finish inside of me, you can’t get me pregnant again right now. I want to feel you, skin on skin” 

“After that delicious treat, I doubt I will last very long my love” he stood back up, his underwear straining against his erection 

“I don’t care, I just want to feel you” she pulled herself partly up, reaching for his waistband and running her fingers down his length “Please” 

He couldn’t resist any longer, pulling her back to the edge of the bed to work around her belly, he ran one hand over her thighs before reaching for his clothing

With one swift movement, his underwear fell to the floor 

Rey took a moment to appreciate the male form, his proportionate feature jutting out, leaking in anticipation. He lined himself up, nudging her with the velvety tip. Each bump sending a jolt of pleasure as he gently slipped between her folds, not pressing inside just yet

“Just you and me again, connected, bonded together, as it should be” she moaned at the feel of his flesh on hers  
Pressing himself in, just the tip, she hissed lightly 

“Wait, go slow. Those muscles need to stretch again. You’re fingers aren’t quite the same” 

Pausing, he leaned over her kissing every bit of skin he could reach, sliding in slowly as possible until he was fully seated. She can tell he is restraining himself, holding as still as possible while her muscles stretched and acclimated to his delicious girth 

“Okay, you can move now” she whispered. His hands pressing hers back into the covers, keeping her arms stretched out to keep himself off of her belly as he rocked gently into her, his eyes closing with a moan of approval

The room quickly filled with wet lewd sounds as his thrusts came quicker and more shallow. One hand drifted down to press his fingers against her sensitive bundle of nerves to push her over the edge once more just as his seed spilled inside of her, pulsing and hot. He stilled, riding out the high of orgasm together before slipping out 

“I didn’t hurt you did I?”

She shook her head, Another round of kisses before Ben disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, retrieving a soft wet washcloth to clean her up, wiping between her legs gently, helping her to a bathroom break before guiding her back into the bed 

“No pain, I Just didn’t want to lose having you there, inside, with nothing between us. At least we don’t need any condoms right now” She laughed lightly, turning onto her side to watch him clean himself and pull on his underwear 

“That my love is a dangerous suggestion, because now I can have you whenever and wherever you would like” His voice is low and gravely as he slid into bed behind her

“Well my libido is through the roof at this point in my pregnancy, I may have to take you up on that offer” she yawned

They snuggled down into the bed, falling asleep quickly 

The rest of the week went on much the same. They spent much time organizing the home so that Rey and the baby were now integrated into everything. Ben installed sliding baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, leaving them open for now to avoid Rey tripping. The furniture that was in the home gym had been donated to a women’s shelter, and the downstairs spare room nearest the kitchen had been cleared out to make room for the pantry he had planned 

When the end of two weeks had arrived at about the middle of December, Ben had contacted her doctor and set up the appointment she was supposed to have that week 

Ben had been reminded via email and calls to be sure and be at work by 8 am for a meeting with all the staff that he had set up before taking time off work. He wasn’t ready to leave Rey at home alone just yet and had asked her to come alone. He allowed family members to tag along for other employees at times and it was high time he did the same. 

They were up bright and early that morning, having made love in the wee light of the morning, working out the stress they carried before finally getting up to shower together . Rey dressed in her best maternity clothing. She chose to wear the dressy top, her jeans as she had not thought to get any dress slacks or skirts in this weather, and her comfortable half boots. She applied make up and pulled a few strands of hair back into a pin to pull together the look. Her pea-coat mostly covered the fact she was pregnant, the lines draped down so that a casual glance might only make it seem that she was wearing a poncho fit top 

Ben was dressed immaculately, his hair hung loosely at his shoulders, brushing the top of his designer suit, his jacket buttoned neatly. Rey spritzed his cologne for him and fastened his cufflinks before they stepped out into the car. 

There was a strange tension hanging in the air, Ben knew he needed to bring up Bazine’s harassment with the head of HR and that he would be introducing Rey to his board and close associates. Things were about to change, he could no longer spend all day at the office, and his meeting this morning would be the start of it all. 

They pulled into his reserved parking space inside the parking structure, Ben quickly made his way over to Rey’s door and helped her out, tucking her purse onto her arm and holding out his elbow for her to loop her hand through, escorting her up to the building. 

She was in shock at how much things had changed. The entire staff seemed to be new, the inside had been renovated to be more inviting and now Ben was working at the very top. She had only been here once or twice as Snoke hated anything to do with family, but she could feel the shift. Snoke had weaseled his way into the top, claiming it was for the good of the company, keeping Ben as his "apprentice" while secretly keeping the power and running illegal things behind the scenes. 

They made their way through security easily enough, Ben had sent an email to have a temporary badge made for Rey before they arrived. She tucked it into her pocket so she could remove her coat when they got to his office

Ben stood for a moment, watching Rey’s face as she marveled at the décor. He had immediately removed any influence from Snoke, the sharp lines and dark colors. Now the lobby was brightly lit, full of sparkling chandeliers and light colors, flower arrangements sat on the glass tables near the puffy leather couches. The small coffee chain still operated, but now served pastries as well, giving off a pleasant smell 

Rey’s mouth watered, but she tried to keep her features schooled as they needed to be in the meeting shortly, she knew Ben would be willing, but didn’t want him to be late on her behalf. She would definitely be coming back later however 

Ben nodded to the employees as they passed, a few whispered and pointed at Rey 

She tried her best to smile at everyone while keeping up with Ben’s long strides, pulling her purse higher on her shoulder and tugging on her coat to keep it flowing around her 

He pressed the button, waiting patiently for the elevator to arrive. Leaning down he whispered “You belong here with me, don’t let anyone intimidate you” before the door slid open

They squeezed inside, employees making way for him, shooting strange looks at Rey. She was just trying hard to keep herself from bumping into anyone with her belly. Tugging on the coat pulling it out in front to keep it loose and not pressed around her, she did her best to keep herself looking like any random woman that might be here for a meeting. She knew that the baby was still under wraps until Ben decided to make the announcement. She didn’t want rumors to spread before then. Ben had positioned himself mostly in front of her, blocking her from view with his tall body as the elevator ascended. 

The crowd slowly dispersed as they reached various levels, by the time they made it to the top it was blessedly empty aside from the pair. It was difficult to keep their hands off of each other, but the last thing they needed was to be caught misbehaving when the doors opened once more.

The elevator dinged, sliding open on the top level. Ben let out his arm once again and Rey clutched it as they strode into his office, closing the door behind them. He reached over and shut the blinds, giving them as much privacy as he could.

“Rey, before we go in there, I want to ask you something” Ben turned to her, a serious look on his face  
“I had some help from my mother and R2 this week, they’ve had their people scouring the city to find this for you” He dropped to one knee, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket

As he cracked it open, she recognized her ring immediately, the one Ben had proposed with the first time 

“Will you be my wife?” He smiled, eyes shining as he peered up at her, waiting for a response

Instead of crying like she thought she might, her emotions bubbled up in pure happiness. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly

“Of course I would marry you! Nothing can keep me away this time” she grinned, her body light as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It had fit loosely before, needing adjusting as it was a family heirloom passed down from his Grandmother, but right now with her pregnancy it fit perfectly. 

“How did you find it?” She whispered into his hair, her hand stretched out to gaze at the brilliant stone

“Whoever had it had pawned it pretty close to our old building. No one had purchased it yet because of the mark up. My mother still has the papers and proof of ownership and worked her magic, and well, it’s back where it belongs” He began to kiss her neck, enjoying the moment before she pressed him back quickly 

“Ben! The everyone is waiting for you! Go on, we will celebrate tonight okay?” she winked 

“Sweetheart, I’m bringing you with me. I need to introduce you to the board as well as my employees. You are the reason for such a big change for me, I want you to be there by my side” he paused “if you are okay with that of course” 

“I guess so, it might be a bit awkward to start, but if you want to get the regular business out of the way before you introduce me, maybe it would be easier that way. It might be a shock if I walk in with a basketball in my shirt” 

He kissed her hair and then her nose 

“Okay, you drive a hard bargain. Stay here and I’ll come get you very soon” With a last kiss, he made his way out the door and into the glass walled board room down the hall

Rey wandered around the office, taking in the sights. It was large, a huge mahogany desk sat at the center towards the back of the room with a tall plush leather chair. She plopped down in it, using her feet to gently spin around and face the city

The view was spectacular. The building wasn’t the tallest, but it wasn’t small either. She gazed out for a while allowing her thoughts to wander. Would people notice if she tucked herself under the desk to bring him pleasure, or if she wore a skirt and sat on his lap in this chair. Maybe the couch would be better. She shook her head and laughed, never had she thought of a semi public tryst, these pregnancy hormones had her thinking about sex more often than she cared to admit to anyone.

Turning herself back to the desk, she grabbed a piece of printer paper and a pen, deciding to make a list of items they still needed to purchase before the baby came, chores that would need to be done, and classes she wanted to take together. The list was longer than she expected, but doable. She added a column for potential baby names as well. She worked on adding bits to it before she ended up doodling on the side 

A sharp knock broke her from her thoughts 

The door swung open before she could answer, a tall thin woman in a tight pencil skirt and low cut shirt burst in with papers in hand

“Excuse me Ma’am, this office is private. I’m going to need to escort you out” she took a few strides over to the desk scowling, her stilettos clacking on the smooth flooring 

Rey opened her mouth to answer, keeping her belly hidden beneath the desk knowing that her coat was still hiding most of her. One hand sliding into her pocket to grab out the temporary badge when Ben came striding into the office, his head down reading something in his hand 

“Rey sweetheart, are you ready to go?” He glanced up, taking in the scene before him 

Bazine was reaching for Rey and had frozen mid step, the shocked look on her face almost made him smirk

“Bazine, what are you doing in my office, you aren’t supposed to be here. Phasma’s office is down the hall and you know it” He pushed past her, coming around the side to Rey, grabbing her list off the desk. He glanced over it and smiled, folding it before tucking it into his breast pocket

“Oh Ben, you know I was just looking for a little private meeting” she winked at Rey who rolled her eyes 

“Bazine, you will be hearing from HR today, I’ve already talked to Admiral Ackbar, he now has physical proof of your harassment. Would you like to dig yourself into a worse situation or start acting like a professional?” 

She huffed, stomping one foot “So this is who you want so badly?” she gestured at Rey 

“Have you told her yet what you did?” she pointed her finger at his chest, trying hard to appear as a scorned lover 

Rey chimed in “Yes, he’s told me everything. I love your work on the nursery by the way. It’s absolutely gorgeous” she smiled as widely as she could, choosing to kill her with kindness and maybe a little spite behind it, rubbing it in just a tad. She wasn’t a vindictive person, but some people needed to be taught a lesson

“Our baby will fit in there so perfectly” Rey looked up at Ben, holding her hand up to her face, making sure the diamond showed on her finger 

“Better hurry up and make one then before I do” Bazine muttered turning on her heel to leave 

“Oh, I’ve got that covered” Rey scooted her chair backwards, Bazine turning to make a remark, as Rey unbuttoned her jacket, sliding it off and turning so her very round stomach showed. She walked over to Ben, his hand instinctively laying across her belly as he put his arm around her, tossing the coat across the back of the couch 

“Let’s go get to meeting everyone” 

She couldn’t help but smile as she watched Bazine’s eyes practically bulge, her jaw dropping as they pushed past and into the conference room  
Rey felt self conscious at first, watching the members mill about, grabbing pastries from the table and chatting quietly. When the door swung open, the chatter stopped, all eyes landed on her

She straightened her back, putting on her best smile as Ben pressed gently on her back to guide her towards the first person. A tall thin woman with light purple hair piled on top of her head. It was shocking to see such a color in a formal atmosphere, but no one else seemed to be bothered, so Rey just smiled at her

Introductions went quickly, Rey shook hands and answered questions for a while, mostly about the baby. She left out the time apart from Ben and simply answered how they had discussed “It was time to meet everyone” and "We like to keep our private life separate from work" 

The red headed man was the only one that made her uncomfortable, snearing as she shook his hand, but his expression softened after she spoke. He too was British and they quickly fell into a conversation. Hux, as she learned his name was, assured her that he kept tea on hand instead of “that American swill” and told her to help herself to the cupboard in the break room 

After introductions, people shuffled out of the room, apparently they had work to be done and had been using the excuse to meet her to put it off. Ben indicated that she should get her coat ready to go. They were heading out for the day. 

They reached his office, Rey scooped up her coat, a piece of paper fluttered down to the floor. Frowning, she tried to bend down and grab it but was having a hard time getting onto the floor knowing she wouldn’t be able to get up very easily

Ben reached around her, handing it to her with a smile 

She flipped it over. In plain printed font was the message 

“You are not welcome here” 

She shrugged, crumpling it up before tossing it into the garbage can. Ben lifted one eyebrow before grabbing it back out 

Unfolding it he frowned 

“Where did you get this?” 

“It was under my coat when I grabbed it. Probably Bazine having a hissy fit. Good thing I took my purse with me” She shrugged again 

“I’m not going to let her ruin my day, She will just have to get used to it. I’m here to stay and I’m not going to hide” 

Ben crossed the room swiftly, scooping her into his arms and kissing her soundly 

Someone cleared their throat loudly at the door causing them to jump apart 

Holdo, the purple haired woman smiled gently “Ben, I’m so happy for you” she grabbed Rey into a hug 

“I heard from HR that Bazine’s out there causing trouble, if you need anything you let me know okay?”

She looked directly into Rey’s eyes, her face serious “That woman has been a thorn in my side for years. But Phasma is her best friend and I’m pretty sure some of the guys at HR would miss her flouncing around the office if she left, so they look the other way. I'm pretty sure she had some other connections too, but well, that doesn't matter. She needs to behave” 

Rey nodded, rubbing her belly 

“Thank you” 

Holdo hugged her once more and waved as she left the room, shutting the door behind her with a click

Ben chuckled, helping Rey put her coat on. It felt heavier than usual. He tucked his hand into her pocket, removing one of the large paper weights, a handful of pens and some various office supplies from his desk

“She really thinks I would believe you were taking office supplies?” He laughed hard, his dimples showing as he tried to regain his composure 

“That’s just pathetic” He shook his head, dumping the supplies back onto his desk before leading Rey back out the door

They walked down the hall, halting near Phasma’s office. The door was closed, a loud argument happening on the other side, though the door did little to keep the volume down 

“He picked that WHORE over me! She comes in here fat as HELL pregnant?!?! He better get a DNA test because there is no way that is his kid! I thought they were broken up?? She’s taking him for all he’s worth, do you hear me!! Why isn’t anyone else angry about this?!?!” following a crash 

Phasma was yelling back “Bazine! Get yourself under control! Ben has his own life and you have to accept that!” 

Outside in the hall, Ben shook his head, his fists balled up at his side, Rey seemed to shake a little 

“Do you think she will cause more trouble now?” She all but whispered “Maybe I should have stayed home, I didn’t mean to make things worse. I was just angry at how she treats you” 

Ben stopped before they got to the elevator 

“There will always be women like Bazine, they crawl out of the woodwork the moment they smell money or power. I have already talked to the agent from the PR company, they will be ready with the narrative soon. They want us to be seen in public a few times, take some photos and we will do some interviews, but we will make it work. Those magazine covers in the grocery store are no accident, they control the narrative 100%” 

He leaned down, capturing her lips in a tender kiss

“Now let’s get out of here, we need to have a proper celebration for the future Mrs. Solo” 

Ben explained on the drive about his new schedule, he had arranged it so he could distribute some of the work around and be able to spend more time at home, only needing to be in the office a few days a week and had already set up his paternity leave ahead of time, taking off a few months to be at home while she was recovering 

“This week I only need to be in on Friday for a few hours. You can come with me if you’d like” 

“Aren’t you worried about distractions Mr. Big shot?” her voice was husky

“I’ll behave myself. . . for the most part” he winked

“I like having you close, it’s comforting. Plus we can bring stuff along for you to do if you want ” 

They pulled in to a parking space, Ben opening her door and helped her out. 

After enjoying a delicious meal, Ben had spent most of it feeding Rey extra bits from his place and snuck in an extra dessert for her to take home, they arrived home to a package sitting on the front porch

Ben scooped it up before they headed inside, smiling to himself 

Rey settled herself on the couch, resting her hand across her belly and admiring her ring. She had always loved it, knowing Ben had wanted to spend his life with her, but having it back after so long made her heart light 

He plopped himself down next to her, having washed up and changed out of his suit and into sweats and a slim cut t-shirt, showing off his toned muscles 

“Sweetheart, I have one more surprise for now” he grinned “Can you please close your eyes?” 

She knew protesting would get her nowhere, she closed them and waited 

Something cold settled on her stomach, the baby decided to roll around at that moment, causing it to rock back and fourth, Ben chuckling before instructing her to open her eyes once more

A brand new phone sat on her, the latest model of the Hoth brand, considered by most to be the top of the line

“Ben, you didn’t need to get me a phone” she chuckled 

“We don’t need anymore unexpected drama. Bazine won’t have this number to harass you with, plus you can reach me at any time, no matter what” 

He picked up the phone, pressing the button on it to bring up the screen

“See, I already saved my number, both my personal, my work and the office. I also added in Leia and Maz at the diner 

“Okay, but I need one thing first” she turned toward him

“What is it?” 

“I want a picture with you” She smiled, opening the camera app and flipping the camera towards them

Rey smiled brightly for the camera, while Ben leaned in and kissed her cheek before she snapped the photo

“One more please” he whispered before kissing her lips gently as she snapped it once more

He looked at the photo of them embracing, smiling before asking “Would you send that to me?” 

She tapped out a quick message, his phone pinging moments later 

Ben reached for the box he had on the couch nearby, setting it on his leg 

“I also got you a case so you don’t have to worry if you drop it” he popped the phone into it’s sparkling case

“Oh, your doctor’s appointment is Thursday, I forgot to put the number in your phone, you'll need to update your number when we go.” 

She paused, looking up at him “Would you like to come along?” 

“I had hoped to be able to” he kissed the crown of her hair

“Also, what do you want to do for Christmas? It’s coming up pretty quick” 

Rey thought a few moments before smiling “I’m just glad I can spend it with you, it doesn’t matter what we do” reaching out for his hand “I had been dreading Christmas a few weeks ago, the rush of people at the diner, Maz keeps it open for anyone who has no place to go. I would have just stayed there all evening”  
Ben tucked her under his arm, allowing her to lay her head against his chest, breathing deeply

“I would have stayed at the office, looking for anything to keep me busy” he chuckled “Mom would have been furious that I skipped family dinner, but there way no way I could be there without you. The memory was just too painful and I didn't want to have to answer everyone’s questions about why we weren’t together anymore” 

He reached down, tilting up her chin to kiss her tenderly 

“No more sadness though” his tongue swept across her bottom lip with a moan “I do believe we are still celebrating the re starting of our life together” 

Soft kisses turned passionate, tongues tangling as Ben’s hand slid down her belly, reaching to her pants, tugging lightly on them 

“Give me a minute, I’ll be right back” Rey kissed him once more, heading upstairs. She quickly stripped in the bathroom, dropping her clothing on the floor, knowing she would deal with them later

Walking nude to the dresser, she rummaged in her underthings drawer until she found the scrap of lace Leia had purchased, the silky blue material shining in the back and the matching thong 

Pulling it on, she adjusted her breasts and belly, heading back to the mirror to check how it looked

With the slit and generous cut, she had to admit that it flattered her body more than she expected, her breasts appeared fuller, the transparent lace left very little to the imagination while still boosting her self confidence. The flowy material around her belly swished as she moved, the slit allowing her skin to show. 

With one last glance, she headed back down the stairs. Taking advantage of the fact Ben was facing away from the stairs, she crept down as best she could, sneaking up behind him and placing her hands gently over his eyes

“Can you keep your eyes closed for a surprise love?” she whispered before dropping her hands and walking in front of him on the couch, his eyes still closed

Her hand wandered down to his lap, caressing his growing hardness before instructing him to open 

His eyes went wide before he reached to her, pulling her close to him 

“Mmm the best kind of surprise” his fingers brushed the top of her breasts, running along the lace before sliding down to the center slit, gently pushing his fingers under the material and on to her bare skin, earning a breathy sigh in return

He continued his exploration, his finger tip sliding down to her tiny thong, running over the silk that had become damp, teasing her through the soft material 

“Do you want to head back up to the bedroom?” he hummed “I don’t want you to feel awkward out here” 

“No” she reached out, running her hands through his thick dark hair “I want you to make love to me right here, on this couch” 

His pushed the thong to the side, running his bare finger through her slick folds, pressing one digit swiftly up inside, his thumb pressed on her nerve bundle working in tandem to pull a swift orgasm from her 

She shuddered, gripping his arm as he removed his fingers, bringing them to his lips and flicking his tongue out to taste, groaning as he roughly yanked his pants down, stroking himself a couple times before pulling himself free of his underwear 

“Now I want you to cum with me. Turn around sweetheart” she obeyed, turning from him, the top of the outfit allowing her backside to peek out from under the silk, her thong hardly covering anything at all. He couldn’t help running his hand over her cheeks and giving a gentle pinch to the soft flesh before grabbing her hips and tugging her into his lap, a jolt of heat as they connected bare skin to bare skin

She lifted her hips to adjust, allowing his erection to slide through her folds, her body gliding back and fourth to gain friction as the tip bumped her sensitive and swollen bud repeatedly

Rey tilted her hips and the tip caught just at her entrance before pushing up inside of her,pressing himself as far as he could go. Ben gripped her shoulder as he bucked his hips upwards, sinking his teeth into her shoulder in a gentle love bite before moving to her neck. He suckled and nipped while his hands kneaded her breasts, her back pressed against him as they slowly rocked together in a steady rhythm 

As the tension built, her hips lifting as he slammed into her, both chasing the high of pleasure until they crested. Rey let out a satisfied moan as Ben followed, groaning out her name. He pulsed inside of her as her muscles clenched as he filled her

They sat together on the couch, breathing heavily, his fingers gently soothing and touching. He softened, starting to slip out before she stood up, feeling the trickle of heat down her leg 

He jumped up, ducking into the bathroom and grabbing a warm washcloth to clean her up before tugging his own clothing back on

She wandered up the stairs to change, leaving Ben to run his fingers through his hair and adjust his clothing 

A soft knock on the door startled him

Peeking through the peep hole, he groaned, frustrated, but willing himself calm 

He pulled open the door, moving his body to block the entrance 

“What is it Bazine, aren’t you supposed to be at work?” he grit out 

“Oh Benny, were those sexy noises for me? Whew, you have me all hot and bothered” she ran her hands from her chest down to her legs 

“You are trespassing on private property, you best be going before I call the police” firmly holding the door

She reached out to touch him before he flinched back a step, leaving an opening that she darted inside 

“I’m only here because HR sent me to apologize” she huffed, her voice was small and childlike 

“Then apologize and leave” he boomed pointing back at the door

She looked around before plopping herself on the couch, her legs falling open, sniffing once 

“Smells like some delicious sex in here. I could have joined in, had a little threesome party together. Then you could have two babies for your nursery” she smirked 

“Bazine, I have no qualms calling the police” he pulled out his cell and unlocked it quickly

The stairs creaked as Rey descended, having heard the conversation from their bedroom, she had dressed and had her pepper spray in hand 

“Oh goodie, here comes your little whore” Bazine rolled her eyes, standing back up 

Ben stepped between them, his fist clenched in anger at how Rey was treated 

“I don’t appreciate being called names in my own home with my Fiance where you so rudely barged in. What did you really come for?” Rey glared, her hand lying on her belly that was now showing through a tank top that stretched over her 

Bazine huffed again “Didn’t you hear me, or are you deaf? I came because HR made me. I’m supposed to apologize for being too friendly. Such a shame, most guys love the attention” 

“And you call me the whore?” Rey chuckled “Look, if there are so many guys who are into you, why don’t you chase after them instead of one who is taken?” 

“Because I would have had everything if YOU hadn’t come back into the picture. When you up and left my poor Benny here was heartbroken, even if he hid it from everyone, I could see it. He would have come around eventually and I would have made the perfect family. He could have given me a baby and let me live here with him” she threw herself down on the chair once more, her arms crossed over her chest

“I could have had a beautiful nursery that I made and amazing sex, not to mention be taken care of for the rest of my life. Why would he pick YOU over ME?!?” he lower lip jutted out, pouting 

“You can’t just step into a pre made life Bazine, you have to work towards it” Ben placed his hand on Rey's back, her hand going to his arm 

“Now I will tell HR that you apologized, but going forward you need to cut this out. No more blatantly hitting on me, no more inappropriate behavior, no more sexual inuendos” He pointed toward Rey 

“I have a family. I have a woman who is going to be my wife, a child on the way and I am incredibly happy. I don’t want anything else, okay? Any kindness I show is just that. Kindness. I don’t want to have to be mean in order for you to not misunderstand the situation” 

“I can’t way I won’t come across as my usual charming and gorgeous self, but I’ll try not to cross any lines” she glared and then turned her attention to Rey

“I don’t have to make nice with you” she shrugged “but I can try I guess” Bazine stood up, walking to the door 

“My offer will always stand. When this girl decides to break your heart again, you’ll see that you were meant to have someone who won’t let you go” with that she slipped back out the door, smirking to herself. This would not be the last of it, that was for sure


	7. Not a chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life happened, I'll be back soon

Sorry it's been so long. One of my kids fell on my laptop and busted it. I should be back up and running soon but no official date. My entire chapter is gone along with my device. Thank you all for the all of the sweet support, it means so much to me. I'll be back as soon as I can

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me in a dream, I jotted down 16,000 words when I woke up and decided to share a bit of it. I don't normally write, I'm a painter, so please excuse any mess


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